Nightblade Damage Dealer
The single-target assassin. Huge spammable hits out of stealth, a pet that never stops cutting, and the best execute in the game.
Overview
This Magicka Nightblade parses about 181k on the 21 million Health dummy in full trial gear, close to the top of the class list. Its damage comes from 
Concealed Weapon, which hits much harder for 15 seconds after 
Shadowy Disguise breaks you out of stealth, and from 
Dark Shade, a shade that hits everything near it for 20 seconds.
An Eye for Exploitation adds up to 2000 Weapon and Spell Damage as the boss loses Health and makes you take less damage from enemies that are low. With 
Impale for the last 25% and 
Soul Harvest making the boss take 20% more damage from you, the build gets stronger the longer the fight goes.
It's the build that rewards practice most: the stealth window, Relentless Focus stacks and an execute swap all have to line up. On trash it does less than the area builds, so it's at its best in boss-heavy trials.
Strengths
- Top-tier single-target damage, and the strongest execute.
- An Eye for Exploitation also cuts the damage you take from low enemies.
Siphoning Attacks and 
Relentless Focus heal you, so it's comfortable in long fights.
Weaknesses
- Lots to track: the stealth window, Focus stacks and the execute swap.
- Weaker on trash than the area builds.
- Two pieces of trial gear for the full damage version.
Buffs and debuffs you bring on bosses
Your group gets
Class Mastery
Pure-class characters with all three class lines at rank 50 can slot two Class Mastery passives (added in Update 50).
Up to 2000 Weapon and Spell Damage as your target loses Health, and up to 20% less damage taken from low attackers.
25% more Critical Damage, and a higher Critical Damage cap so it isn't wasted.
DPS Simulation
The Boss setup played by the DPS Simulator on the 21 million Health Trial dummy, with its group buffs and debuffs, Light Attack weaving and a full Ultimate bar to start. It's #1 of 16 for single target on the tier list, #3 overall.
- Simulated DPS
- 176,692
- Fight
- 118.9 s
- Published parse
- about 155k (sim +14.0%)
- Front bar
- 8,352 damage · 89% crit · 150% crit damage
Where the damage comes from
- Relentless Focus18.7%
- LALight Attack13.3%
- Concealed Weapon10.4%
Stampede7.6%- Impale7.4%
Carve6.9%- Dark Shade5.8%
Barbed Trap4.6%- …Everything else25.5%
Damage type
- Frost2.1%
- Flame8.7%
- Disease19.1%
- Magic30.7%
- Poison4.3%
- Physical23.3%
- Bleed11.9%
82.1% direct, 17.9% over time.
Group buffs it leans on most
Major Vulnerability−17.7k
Aggressive Horn−16.3k
Major Slayer−13.5k
Major Courage−12.6k
Elemental Catalyst−12.2k
Minor Brutality−10.7k
DPS lost if the group didn't bring it.
A simulation, not a parse: it uses UESP tooltip numbers, plays a clean rotation and assumes you sustain it. Light Attack, status effect and pet damage are estimates. Open this run in the DPS Simulator to change gear, buffs or the rotation and see the full breakdown.
Skill Setups
Every damage dealer build has a Boss setup for single targets and a Trash setup that swaps a slot or two for packs. The gear stays the same for both.
Single target: every slot either hits the boss harder or buffs you. Keep your damage over time effects and buffs up, then spam your spammable in between.
What this setup brings
Front bar
Dual Wield
1234
5RBack bar
Two Handed · Greatsword
12345
R| Slot | Skill |
|---|---|
| Front 1 | Concealed Weapon Assassination Cast time: InstantRange: 7 metresCost: 2,295 Magicka Your spammable. It hits much harder for 15 seconds after Shadowy Disguise drops you out of stealth. |
| Front 2 | Impale Assassination Cast time: InstantRange: 28 metresCost: 2,430 Magicka Execute: swap to it from Concealed Weapon once the boss is under 25% Health. |
| Front 3 | Relentless Focus Assassination Cast time: InstantRange: 28 metresCost: 1,107 Stamina Light Attacks build stacks; at four, fire a Spectral Bow that also heals you in melee. Slotted, it gives you Major Savagery. |
| Front 4 | Shadowy Disguise Shadow Cast time: InstantCost: 2,700 Magicka / 1s 15% more damage for 10 seconds, and the stealth that powers Concealed Weapon. |
| Front 5 | Sap Essence Siphoning Cast time: InstantDuration: 30 secondsCost: 3,510 Magicka Area spammable for trash, and Major Brutality. Keeps Magicka Flood active as a Siphoning skill. |
| Front R | Soul Harvest Assassination Cast time: 0.4 secondsRange: 7 metresCost: 70 Ultimate Cheap: the boss takes 20% more damage from you. Slotted, kills also give you Ultimate. |
| Back 1 | Dark Shade Shadow Cast time: InstantDuration: 20 secondsCost: 2,970 Magicka A shade that hits everything around it for 20 seconds. A lot of damage per cast; pre-cast it before the pull. |
| Back 2 | Barbed Trap Fighters Guild Cast time: InstantDuration: 20 secondsCost: 3,240 Stamina Bleed trap that gives you Minor Force (10% Critical Damage) while it's out. Recast it as it ends. |
| Back 3 | Carve Two Handed Cast time: InstantCost: 3,510 Stamina Area bleed that gets 10 seconds longer each time you refresh it, up to 32 seconds, and a small shield. The first skill to drop for a situational one. |
| Back 4 | Stampede Two Handed Cast time: InstantRange: 22 metresDuration: 15 secondsCost: 4,590 Stamina Gap closer that leaves a burning patch under the boss. It procs your weapon glyph over and over, and with |
| Back 5 | Siphoning Attacks Siphoning Cast time: InstantCost: 4,000 Health Heals and sustains you passively while slotted. Cast it to trade Health for Magicka and Stamina. |
| Back R | Shooting Star Mages Guild Cast time: InstantRange: 28 metresCost: 170 Ultimate Area Ultimate for trash, or to open a boss with a full bar. It refunds Ultimate for each enemy hit. |
Open the Boss setup in the Build Editor to change skills, gear and stats.
Simulate it on the Trial dummy to see its DPS, where the damage comes from and what each buff is worth.
On trash, 
Ulfsild's Contingency takes Carve's slot for an area burn that also gives Minor Force, and 
Proximity Detonation takes Barbed Trap's. Lead with Shooting Star and spam Sap Essence instead of Concealed Weapon.
What this setup brings
Front bar
Dual Wield
12345RBack bar
Two Handed · Greatsword
12345R| Slot | Skill |
|---|---|
| Front 1 | Concealed Weapon Assassination Cast time: InstantRange: 7 metresCost: 2,295 Magicka Your spammable. It hits much harder for 15 seconds after Shadowy Disguise drops you out of stealth. |
| Front 2 | Impale Assassination Cast time: InstantRange: 28 metresCost: 2,430 Magicka Execute: swap to it from Concealed Weapon once the boss is under 25% Health. |
| Front 3 | Relentless Focus Assassination Cast time: InstantRange: 28 metresCost: 1,107 Stamina Light Attacks build stacks; at four, fire a Spectral Bow that also heals you in melee. Slotted, it gives you Major Savagery. |
| Front 4 | Shadowy Disguise Shadow Cast time: InstantCost: 2,700 Magicka / 1s 15% more damage for 10 seconds, and the stealth that powers Concealed Weapon. |
| Front 5 | Sap Essence Siphoning Cast time: InstantDuration: 30 secondsCost: 3,510 Magicka Area spammable for trash, and Major Brutality. Keeps Magicka Flood active as a Siphoning skill. |
| Front R | Soul Harvest Assassination Cast time: 0.4 secondsRange: 7 metresCost: 70 Ultimate Cheap: the boss takes 20% more damage from you. Slotted, kills also give you Ultimate. |
| Back 1 | Dark Shade Shadow Cast time: InstantDuration: 20 secondsCost: 2,970 Magicka A shade that hits everything around it for 20 seconds. A lot of damage per cast; pre-cast it before the pull. |
| Back 2 | Proximity Detonation Assault Cast time: 1 secondRange: 28 metresDuration: 4 secondsCost: 3,510 Magicka Cast it a few seconds before you reach the pack: it bursts for more the more enemies are near. |
| Back 3 | Ulfsild's Contingency Scribed as Fiery Contingency Cast time: InstantDuration: 22 secondsCost: 2,808 Magicka Area burn and Minor Force on the whole pack. |
| Back 4 | Stampede Two Handed Cast time: InstantRange: 22 metresDuration: 15 secondsCost: 4,590 Stamina Gap closer that leaves a burning patch under the boss. It procs your weapon glyph over and over, and with |
| Back 5 | Siphoning Attacks Siphoning Cast time: InstantCost: 4,000 Health Heals and sustains you passively while slotted. Cast it to trade Health for Magicka and Stamina. |
| Back R | Shooting Star Mages Guild Cast time: InstantRange: 28 metresCost: 170 Ultimate Area Ultimate for trash, or to open a boss with a full bar. It refunds Ultimate for each enemy hit. |
Scribing
Scribed skill
Fiery Contingency
Ulfsild's Contingency · Flame Damage / Lingering Torment / Force
- Cast time
- Instant
- Target
- Self
- Duration
- 22 seconds
- Cost
- 2,808 Magicka
Flame DamageFocus script: Deals 4,155 Flame Damage to enemies.
Lingering TormentSignature script: Deals 6,545 Magic Damage over 22 seconds to enemies.
ForceAffix script: Grants Minor Force for 22 seconds, increasing Critical Damage by 10%.
Area fire damage with a 22-second burn, and Minor Force for you. It waits for your next skill to go off, or a bash sets it off early.
Open the Trash setup in the Build Editor to change skills, gear and stats.
Simulate it on the Trial dummy to see its DPS, where the damage comes from and what each buff is worth.
Flex skills
Swap these in when the fight or your group calls for it.
Single-target fights: a 20-second damage over time effect in Sap Essence's slot (it keeps Magicka Flood). About 3% more damage.
Ranged spammable that heals you, in place of Concealed Weapon when you need the healing. About 2% less damage.
Self-heal for fights with constant damage. Takes Carve's slot.
Passives
The passives that shape this build. They come with the skill lines, so there's nothing to slot.
More Critical Chance while you hit from the flank.
More Critical Damage with an Assassination skill slotted, and Minor Savagery for the group when you crit.
More Critical Chance for each Assassination skill slotted: three here.
Two daggers on the front bar: Critical Chance from each.
The back-bar greatsword adds Weapon and Spell Damage.
3% more Weapon and Spell Damage with a Fighters Guild skill slotted.
2% more Critical Damage from 1 Medium pieces.
Offensive Penetration from 6 Light pieces.
Gear
The base setup, about 155k on the dummy. 
Whorl of the Depths on five Light pieces puts a frost damage over time effect on the boss with your Light Attacks, which bursts when it ends, 
Berserking Warrior (Advancing Yokeda) on the daggers and jewellery stacks Critical Chance with your melee hits, and 
Selene summons a primal spirit with your melee hits. 
Merciless Charge on the back-bar greatsword turns Stampede into a damage buff. The full damage version swaps Whorl for 
Slivers of the Null Arca in Medium and Selene for 
Slimecraw and 
Huntsman's Warmask, for about 181k.
Buffs and debuffs with this gear
Gold entries come from your gear; the rest come from your skills and passives.
Slots
| Slot | Set | Trait |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Selene Medium (monster) | Divines |
| Shoulders | Selene Light (monster) | Divines |
| Chest | Whorl of the Depths Light | Divines |
| Hands | Whorl of the Depths Light | Divines |
| Waist | Whorl of the Depths Light | Divines |
| Legs | Whorl of the Depths Light | Divines |
| Feet | Whorl of the Depths Light | Divines |
| Neck | Berserking Warrior Jewellery | Bloodthirsty |
| Ring 1 | Berserking Warrior Jewellery | Bloodthirsty |
| Ring 2 | Berserking Warrior Jewellery | Bloodthirsty |
| Front: main hand | Berserking Warrior Dagger | Charged |
| Front: off hand | Berserking Warrior Dagger | Charged |
| Back bar | Merciless Charge Greatsword (two-handed) | Infused |
Sturdy and Divines are interchangeable on armour. Tri-Stat glyphs on jewellery are a fine swap if you need more resources.
What the sets do
2 pieces · Selene's Web (veteran) + Undaunted chest
- (1 item)Adds 129 Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.
- (2 items)When you deal Martial melee damage, you call upon a primal spirit that mauls the closest enemy in front of you after 1.3 seconds for 1702 Physical damage. This effect can occur once every 6 seconds and scales off the higher of your Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.
5 pieces · Dreadsail Reef
- (2 items)Adds 129 Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.
- (3 items)Gain Minor Slayer, increasing damage done to monsters by 5%.
- (4 items)Adds 129 Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.
- (5 items)When you deal damage with a Light Attack, you apply Whorl of the Depths to the target, dealing 1016 Frost damage over 8 seconds. When this effect ends, a 5 meter whirlpool is created under the target for 6 seconds and deals 764 Frost damage every 1 second. This effect can occur once every 18 seconds and scales off the higher of your Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.
5 front / 3 back · Hel Ra Citadel
Full bonus on the front bar only.
- (2 items)Adds 657 Critical Chance.
- (3 items)Adds 657 Critical Chance.
- (4 items)Adds 657 Critical Chance.
- (5 items)Adds 986 Critical Chance.
- (5 items)When you deal Martial melee damage, your Critical Chance is increased by 298 for 5 seconds, stacking up to 5 times. This effect can occur once every half second.
2 pieces · back bar · Maelstrom Arena (veteran)
- (2 items)Activating Critical Charge stirs up a barbarous lust for battle within you for 18 seconds, increasing your damage done with direct damage attacks by 1%, up to a maximum of 12%. This effect scales off the higher of your Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.
Alternative sets
Body, full damage version: Medium pieces for Critical Damage and status effect damage.
One-piece monster helm for the full damage version: Critical Chance.
Crafted fallback for Whorl of the Depths.
Dungeon fallback for Berserking Warrior on the jewellery and daggers.
Crafted Critical Chance set, if you have neither.
Fallback monster set for Selene.
Champion Points
Slottable stars only. Spend passive points in each tree along the path to these stars.
- Deadly Aim
More damage with single-target attacks. Swap it for Biting Aura on trash.
- Master-at-Arms
More direct damage.
- Wrathful Strikes
Weapon and Spell Damage on every damaging skill.
- Fighting Finesse
Critical Damage until your group's buffs take you to the 125% cap.
- Boundless Vitality
Max Health, so one-shot mechanics don't kill you.
- Fortified
Armor, for the hits you can't block.
- Celerity
10% Movement Speed, which
Banner Bearer's Cavalier's Charge turns into Weapon and Spell Damage. - Rejuvenation
Recovery for all three resources.
- Steed's Blessing
Run between pulls faster.
- Gifted Rider
Faster mount.
Good swaps
More damage with area attacks. Swap it in for Deadly Aim on trash.
More damage over time, for builds whose damage is mostly DoTs.
Weapon and Spell Damage, in place of Fighting Finesse once you sit at the 125% Critical Damage cap.
Critical Damage when you hit from the flank. Strong when the tank turns the boss away.
More damage against Off Balance targets, if your group keeps Off Balance up.
Heals you when you kill an enemy. Good on trash with a fragile build.
Race
Max Magicka, Weapon and Spell Damage, and casting restores your lowest resource.
- also good
Dark ElfMax Magicka and Stamina and Flame damage. Strong on every build.
- 4-player
KhajiitCritical Damage and Healing. Better in dungeons, where you rarely hit the Critical Damage cap.
Mundus
More Critical Chance. Divines on the armour makes it bigger.
- Penetration
The LoverPenetration, if your group doesn't bring Crusher, Alkosh or Tremorscale.
Attributes
Every skill you cast scales from Max Magicka and Weapon and Spell Damage. Food and Boundless Vitality give you enough Health for normal content; move points into Health only if you keep dying to mechanics while you learn a fight.
Food
Max Health and Max Magicka. Enough Health to live, and Magicka for damage.
Potions
Restores Magicka and gives Major Brutality and Major Savagery: Weapon and Spell Damage and Critical Chance.
- Ultimate
Heroism potionMinor Heroism for more Ultimate. Swap Banner Bearer's affix to Berserk or Courage when you drink these.
Gameplay
- 1Pre-cast Dark Shade and Shadowy Disguise before the pull.
- 2Keep these up, most important first: Soul Harvest when it's ready, Carve, Barbed Trap, Dark Shade, Stampede, Shadowy Disguise.
- 3Fire Relentless Focus when it has four stacks.
- 4Fill every other global with Concealed Weapon, weaving a Light Attack before each skill.
- 5Below 25% Health, spam Impale instead of Concealed Weapon.
FAQ
What's the difference between the Boss and Trash setups?
On trash, Ulfsild's Contingency takes Carve's slot for an area burn that also gives Minor Force, and Proximity Detonation takes Barbed Trap's. Lead with Shooting Star and spam Sap Essence instead of Concealed Weapon. Your gear stays the same.
What gear do I need for the Nightblade damage dealer?
Selene, Whorl of the Depths, Berserking Warrior, Merciless Charge. The Alternative sets list easier sets to start with.
When do I use Impale?
Once the boss is under 25% Health, Impale replaces Concealed Weapon as your spammable. An Eye for Exploitation also grows as the boss loses Health, so the end of a fight is where this build shines.