Murder Of Fire - Hybrid Dragonknight PVE Build
Written guide updated for updated for The Scribes of Fate DLC: Q1 2023
Older video but still relevant.
This HYBRID Dragonknight build was made for the sole purpose of making the most out of the class in terms of damage and accessibility (gear wise) for players of ALL skill levels and for ALL content.
This build has been around ever since clockwork city and was designed to help the every day player get everything they had ever dreamed of COMPLETED but with minimal effort. The build was also designed to take advantage of several fun and effective sets making it extremely enjoyable, AND themed all at once. Fire on a stamina build? Surely not right?…
Well fate has a funny way of raising it’s head and saying “You were on the right path”. This build is NOW considered a Hybrid! Why? because before when fire damage was only considering spell penetration (which we lacked) and while spell damage only contributed to spell based abilities…the game CHANGED!
In the Deadlands DLC, ALL sets with spell damage or weapon damage, became BOTH. All sets with Spell penetration and weapon penetration, became BOTH and all sets that were Spell critical or weapon critical…became BOTH! That’s right, ALL sets that have the above bonuses now have their stats consolidated to work for magicka and stamina builds EQUALLY!
Also to help with this even more, ALL damage based proc sets that scale with spell and weapon damage, literally do just that! Valkin skoria for example before was a set that DID fire damage, but needed magicka based stats to enhance it (specifically champion points and penetration) meaning while it was NICE on a stamina build, it was not as strong as it COULD be. However now, our highest damage stats boost it! So high weapon damage makes it stronger, OR high spell damage makes it stronger! Basically however you want to play you CAN and you will get AMAZING results! Not only that, THOSE proc sets, can now CRITICALLY HIT!!
The build by DEFAULT literally got buffed from ALL sides! Meaning, we were already Correct all along!
Where were the gaps before?: Fire damage for fun and effective application that just worked when it probably should not have.So had to plug gaps for penetration and such with stats and mundus.
Where were the gaps closed?: Fire damage for US can now scales off of our consolidated max stats, equal damage/pen/crit values, and literally made it so anything goes! It always did but now anything goes while being STRONGER! We quite frankly got buffed over night in all areas.
With the above in mind NOW we have a very different weapon on the back bar for the build. Bye Bye bow! We are using a flame staff! We are fire and fury all the way now and it’s SO much fun!
If you are good at your rotation, then you will get great results and buff your group. If you are not so good with your rotation, you will still buff the group on and off, and will STILL get very good results with fire and forget procs that are so satisfying to watch blow up rooms!
Remember this build is for ALL players of ALL skill levels and can perform in ALL content. When was the last time you saw 96k DPS out of an “overland build”? 😉
- Accessible and usable by ALL players of ALL skill levels in ALL content
High sustain
High damage from proc sets that go off left right and center and can now CRIT!
EVERYTHING you do procs your sets
NO trials loot required
Buyable tradeable gear for very fast building of the setup
above all….SOOO MUCH FUN!!
ENJOY!
Fashion First!
As demonstrated in the video, our fabulous setup and dress choice for this character is as follows:
Head: Heavy Stags Of Zen
Shoulders: Heavy Imperial 4
Chest: Sai Sahan
Legs: Heavy Thieves Guild
Hands: Medium Worm Cult
Belt: Heavy Dro’mathra
Feet: Heavy Thorn Legion
Front bar: Mazatun Maces
Back bar: Silver Dawn Bow
The three colors we are using are Hollowfang Cruor, Windhelm Steel, and Obsidian Black
Skills
Dual wield
1) Venom Claw
2) Barbed Trap
3) Consuming Trap
4) Stone Giant
5) Rending Slashes / Deadly Cloak
Ultimate – Flawless Dawnbreaker
Flame Staff
1) Echoing Vigor / Molten Whip / Ring of Preservation
2) Unstable Wall Of Elements
3) Noxious Breath
4) Flames Of Oblivion
5) Stone Giant
Ultimate – Standard Of Might OR Corrosive Armor
Champion Points 2.0
The NEW Champion Points 2.0 introduced in the Q1 2021 DLC: Flames Of Ambition is quite possibly the BIGGEST change/addition to The Elder Scrolls Online since One Tamriel! And these were further altered in the Blackwood Chapter, giving us a lower base for capping out some of the essentials and also adding some more slotables!
Before it was a case of “I have limited points as a CP, so HOW should I spend them”? Now that is NOT the case as SUCH! Now, it is a case of, buy ALL the things, but which SLOTABLES should you take?
Everything before was a passive bonus with huge diminished returns, awkward calculations, and was messy to all players for the most part. The new system underlines NO diminished returns, no majorly confusing passives, and the ability to buy EVERY single passive available for tanking, DPS, and healing on the SAME character with enough points to spare for buying slotables. Being able to slot 4x special slotables from each tree when there are an abundance of them means you are only limited by your CHOICES, not by your CP.
Buy all the passives, CHOOSE which slotables to take vs the situation, and the rest of the points are spare. Or are they? Well here is the crunch…Once you go over 1800ish (depending on slotable choices, some are more expensive in the Craft tree) you basically have every single passive available PLUS 4 slotables per tree…
If you JUST wanted to focus on combat alone (all red and blue passives and 4 slotables for each one) you only actually need around 1600cp to be completely maxed in those areas. And if you wanted to go FULL glass cannon, only really focusing on one damage type you can achieve your max potential for that as low as 900 or so! You won’t have any resistances or healing bonuses from the Warfare (blue) tree doing this, but you can at least cap out the hard-hitting stuff, right? And this is considering slotables too so there is no harm in actually deliberately specing for a couple of damage resistance slotables instead even at THIS stage.
For tanking it is even easier! Push for your slotables and stack your resistance passives and it is game over! The rest are just a bonus!
So what’s next? Well, if you have higher champion points you can buy more slotables and switch stuff per situation as and when needed. If you don’t, then if you want to swap it will cost you gold for respecing. So in a nutshell, 1650-1800 (depending on build) is you’re pretty much done! Anything else is convenient due to not needing to spend gold swapping things you already have access to! How cool is that?
SLOTABLES!
No matter what, THESE are the most important parts of the Champion Points 2.0 system. So this is your main FIRST goal when pushing for the build. You need to slot these even if they are not max level. However, there are swap-outs for situations as explained in the video.
BLUE (Warfare) are important for resistance, heals, and damage. Red (Fitness) are important for resources, health, and Crowd Control counters. Green (Craft) are literally quality of life! (aka your choice so not THAT important for combat).
It doesn’t matter what level you are at anymore, you can play ALL content regardless of your champion points level because during Flames of Ambition all players/characters had their base stats improved to make everyone somewhat more balanced at lower levels.
However, as mentioned above, the slotables are your main goal. Unlock the prerequisite passives to unlock access to your slotables if there are any…fill them up, and then just grab the remaining passives as you go.
300, 600, 900 champion points are not really important as checkpoints anymore for optimization. Just fill as you go, because ALL characters can have ALL passives with NO negative effects unlike before!
What should I aim for with this build?
- Master At Arms
- Thaumaturge
- Deadly Aim
- Backstabber
Instead of Backstabber If you cannot get behind the enemy (example: Dragon in Sunspire), then Fighting Finesse should replace it in those situations.If you find you are in multiple large pull situations with many adds while using Whirling Blades, you should swap to Biting Aura.
- Rationer
- Liquid Efficiency
- Treasure Hunter
- Steed’s Blessing
These really are up to you but these are most useful IN content for loot and movement if not in combat.
What you do with this tree is NOT make or break for mechanics nor combat in general just quality of life.
Some people like to steal, craft, use less potions, whatever, it’s your choice.
- Boundless Vitality
- Rejuvenation
- Fortified
- Blood Renewal
These are designed to increase your health/armor and at the same time manage your resources.
High recovery and return for being active in combat and GETTING kills really helps you in content.
So a good balance of flat, contributing slotables are helpful as a DPS build.
The video below explains how the changes work in more detail. Of course, over time, additions will be and have already been made to the system but the main BASE of it is the same.
Rotation
Start your rotation: Before the fight if you are using the molten whip for the seething fury bonuses (explained in the video) be sure to have flames of oblivion pre active (3x) ready to start the fight. If you are not using it, then pre apply it just ONCE.
Your beast trap should be under the target if you are in the bosses face right away and then swap to the back bar to get started.
Back Bar: Light Attack, Stone Giant (stomp), Light attack, Flames Of Oblivion, Light Attack, Elemental Blockade, Light Attack, Noxious Breath, Bar Swap.
(The above starts the stone giant bonus, and also fires two ardent flame abilities with an ability between to allow for an extended seething fury bonus meaning it will have 0 fall off)
Front Bar: Light Attack, Rending Slashes (or deadly cloak), Light Attack, Stone Giant, Light Attack, Venomous Claw, Light Attack, Consuming Trap, Light Attack, Stone Giant, Light Attack, Stone Giant, Light Attack, Barbed Trap, Weapon Swap.
The above allows for your first Stone Giant to land before the buff falls off of the target with a dot fired just before it. Then the next two dots close the gap allowing for you to let stone giant run it’s duration right before you apply the next two. This extends the overall up time of it and allows for 100% uptime on the bonus so long as you get the rotation right. If you mess up the order do not panic but this is calculated in this order for perfect control. Also since there are 3 stone giants on the front bar, this means when you go to the back bar and press it again, the stomp variant is GUARANTEED to always fire on the back bar.
Note: If you are high on sustain then follow the above, however, if you are struggling then you can replace any light attack with a heavy attack to maintain resources.
Poisons, Potions, & Food
Potions really are up to you but they DO offer a crit chance bonus AND a 20% increase to your weapon damage and recovery while giving a burst of stamina back at the same time.
Food is very simple: the highest level food you can consume with 2 stats only, MAX health and MAX stamina. There are 3 variations of recipes but all are the same in the stats they give so it’s your choice of which one you use.
Poison:
Alkahest + Nirnroot + Nightshade + Fleshfly Larvae
Weapon Power Potions:
Dragonthorn + Blessed Thistle + Wormwood + Lorkhan’s Tears
Food
Recovery Food:
Artaeum Takeaway Broth – Fish(20) + Torchbug Thorax(5) + Powdered Mother Of Pearl (5)
Dubious Camoran Throne – White Meat(1) + Beetle Scuttle(1) + Insect Parts(1) + Guts(1)
Flat food:
Sticky Pork And Radish Noodles – White Meat(1) + Radish(2) + Flour(3)
Garlic Cod with Potato Crust – Fish(1) + Potato(2) + Garlic(3)
Braised Rabbit with Spring Vegetables – Small Game(1) + Greens(2) + Seasoning(3)
If you would like to make your own potions, I now have a fully functioning potion maker on the website. Here you can TEST any combination of potion or poison you like and check the outcome without having to know the combinations in-game! Check here for the App, working on Android and IOS – Potion Maker
Gear Setup
Below is a chart showing the overall gear set-up, noting the optimal set requirements in terms of weight, enchants, & traits!
We are using the Thief mundus stone. All 64 Attribute points are into stamina!
We are an Orc but other races are also usable. Redguard, Wood Elf, or Imperial are good substitutes. Also some people like the Khajiit, or Dark Elf.
Setup
| Slot | Gear Set | Weight | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head | Zaan / Maw Of The Infernal / Valkyn Skoria | Light / Medium | Divines | Stamina |
| Shoulders | Zaan / Maw Of The Infernal / Valkyn Skoria | Light / Medium | Divines | Stamina |
| Chest | Shadow Of The Red Mountain | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
| Waist | Shadow Of The Red Mountain | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
| Hands | Shadow Of The Red Mountain | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
| Legs | Shadow Of The Red Mountain | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
| Feet | Shadow Of The Red Mountain | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
| Ring 1 | Unfathomable Darkness / Venomous Smite | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Weapon Damage |
| Ring 2 | Unfathomable Darkness / Venomous Smite | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Weapon Damage |
| Necklace | Unfathomable Darkness / Venomous Smite | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Weapon Damage |
| Weapon 1 | Unfathomable Darkness / Venomous Smite | Dagger | Nirnhoned | Fire Glyph |
| Weapon 2 | Unfathomable Darkness / Venomous Smite | Dagger | Charged | Poison Glyph |
| Weapon 3 | Maelstrom | Inferno Staff | Infused | Weapon / Spell Dmg |
The monster sets should be in double LIGHT weight unless you are using Valkin Skoria, In which case they should be ONE light and ONE medium. This way your penetration bonuses are covered should you have all the shiny buffs and bonuses in your group.
Gear Locations
Shadow of the Red Mountain – Stonefalls
Unfathomable Darkness – Clockwork City
Venomous Smite – Western Skyrim
Maelstrom weapons – Maelstrom Arena
Valkyn Skoria – City Of Ash II
Zaan – Scalecaller Peak
Maw of the Infernal – Banished Cells II
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