ESO One-Bar Solo Build Guide Templar, Nightblade, And Crafting Class

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Introduction

In The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), the flexibility of the class system allows players to create a wide variety of builds tailored to different playstyles and content. A popular challenge for many players is creating a one-bar solo build, which focuses on utilizing a single weapon bar for all combat needs. This approach simplifies gameplay, making it more accessible and manageable, especially for solo content. The question arises: Can you effectively create a decent one-bar solo build using the Templar and Nightblade classes, combined with another class primarily for crafting? This article delves into the possibilities, exploring the strengths and weaknesses of such a build and providing insights into how to optimize it for solo play.

Understanding the One-Bar Solo Build Concept

Before diving into the specifics of the build, it’s essential to understand what a one-bar solo build entails. Typically, ESO players utilize two weapon bars, allowing them to slot up to ten different skills, plus two ultimate abilities. This provides a broad toolkit for various situations, enabling players to switch between damage-dealing, healing, and defensive abilities seamlessly. However, managing two bars can be overwhelming for some, particularly in high-intensity combat scenarios. A one-bar build simplifies this by limiting the player to a single set of five skills and one ultimate. This requires careful skill selection to ensure the character can handle various combat situations, from dealing damage to sustaining themselves.

The primary advantage of a one-bar build is its simplicity. With fewer skills to manage, players can focus more on positioning, enemy mechanics, and resource management. This can be particularly beneficial for solo players who need to be self-sufficient and adaptable. However, the trade-off is a reduced overall skill diversity, which can limit the build's effectiveness in certain content, such as high-end group dungeons or trials. For a one-bar solo build to be successful, it needs to have a strong balance of damage, healing, and survivability, all within the constraints of the five available skill slots.

The Templar: A Strong Foundation for Solo Play

The Templar class is renowned for its versatility and self-sustain, making it an excellent foundation for a one-bar solo build. Templars have access to a wide range of skills that provide damage, healing, and support, allowing them to handle various combat situations effectively. One of the key reasons Templars excel in solo play is their potent healing abilities, particularly those from the Restoring Light skill line. Skills like Rushed Ceremony (morph of Healing Ritual) provide instant, burst healing, while Breath of Life offers a powerful group heal that can also be used on oneself in solo situations. These healing skills ensure that Templars can recover quickly from damage, maintaining their survivability in prolonged fights.

In terms of damage, Templars have access to several strong damage-dealing skills, primarily from the Aedric Spear skill line. Puncturing Sweeps is a standout ability, dealing damage to multiple enemies while also healing the Templar, making it an ideal skill for both damage and sustain. Other notable damage skills include Blazing Spear, which deals damage over time and provides area-of-effect (AoE) capabilities, and Sun Fire, a ranged magic attack. The Dawn's Wrath skill line provides further damage options, with skills like Solar Barrage and Radiant Glory (formerly Radiant Oppression) offering significant burst damage potential, especially against low-health targets. Templar ultimate abilities, such as Nova and Solar Prison, are also powerful tools for both damage and crowd control, making them valuable additions to a one-bar build.

Furthermore, Templars have access to various support and utility skills that enhance their survivability and effectiveness in solo content. Skills like Channeled Focus provide magicka sustain and increase armor, while skills from the Restoring Light skill line offer buffs and protections. The Templar's inherent class passives also contribute to their solo capabilities, providing additional healing, damage, and resource management benefits. Overall, the Templar class offers a well-rounded toolkit for solo play, making it a strong choice for a one-bar build focused on self-sustain and damage output.

Nightblade: Enhancing Damage and Survivability

Nightblade brings a unique set of skills to the table, focusing on damage, stealth, and survivability. When combined with the Templar, the Nightblade can significantly enhance the one-bar solo build's damage potential while also providing additional tools for self-sustain. The Nightblade's primary strength lies in its ability to deal high single-target damage, making it effective against bosses and other challenging enemies. Skills from the Assassination skill line, such as Assassin's Blade and Impale, offer powerful execute options, allowing Nightblades to finish off weakened foes quickly. The Shadow skill line provides stealth and mobility options, which can be invaluable for solo play, allowing players to bypass difficult encounters or reposition themselves strategically during combat.

One of the key benefits of incorporating Nightblade skills into a one-bar solo build is the added survivability they provide. The Siphoning skill line offers several self-healing abilities, such as Strife and its morphs, which heal the Nightblade while dealing damage. These skills can complement the Templar's healing abilities, creating a highly resilient character capable of sustaining through prolonged fights. Additionally, Nightblades have access to utility skills like Shadow Cloak, which provides a brief period of invisibility, allowing them to avoid damage or break enemy targeting. The Nightblade's ultimate abilities, such as Soul Shred and Incapacitating Strike, offer strong crowd control and damage options, further enhancing the build's capabilities.

However, it's important to note that Nightblades can be more resource-intensive than Templars, particularly in terms of magicka management. Therefore, when building a one-bar solo build that incorporates Nightblade skills, it's crucial to focus on skills that provide sustain, such as those from the Siphoning skill line, and to utilize gear and enchantments that enhance magicka recovery. By carefully selecting skills and optimizing resource management, the Nightblade can significantly contribute to the build's damage output and survivability, making it a valuable addition to the Templar's toolkit.

The Crafting Class: Utility and Passive Benefits

The third class in this build is primarily focused on crafting, meaning its active combat skills will likely be less utilized. However, this doesn't mean the class is without value. Each class in ESO offers passive benefits that can enhance the one-bar solo build's overall effectiveness. For instance, certain classes may provide passives that increase resource recovery, weapon damage, or critical hit chance, all of which can indirectly boost the build's performance. The choice of crafting class will largely depend on the player's personal preferences and crafting needs, but it's worth considering the passive benefits each class offers when making the decision.

For a one-bar solo build, passive skills that enhance sustain or damage are particularly valuable. A class with passives that increase magicka or stamina recovery can help mitigate the resource management challenges that often accompany one-bar builds. Similarly, passives that boost weapon damage or critical hit chance can directly increase the build's damage output, making it more effective in combat. While the crafting class may not contribute directly to the build's active skill rotation, its passive benefits can provide a significant advantage, particularly in solo content where self-sufficiency is crucial. Additionally, the crafting skills themselves can provide valuable utility, allowing the player to create potions, food, and gear that further enhance the build's capabilities.

Building the One-Bar Solo Templar Nightblade Hybrid

Creating a one-bar solo build that effectively combines Templar and Nightblade skills requires careful consideration of skill selection, gear, and champion points. The goal is to create a build that has a balance of damage, healing, and survivability, all within the constraints of a single weapon bar. Here’s a possible skill setup and gear suggestions to get you started:

Skill Setup

  • Weapon: One-Handed and Shield or Two-Handed
    • Puncturing Sweeps (Templar): Your primary damage dealer and heal. This skill hits multiple enemies and heals you for a portion of the damage dealt.
    • Assassin’s Blade (Nightblade): An excellent execute skill for finishing off enemies. It deals high damage to low-health targets.
    • Strife or its morphs (Nightblade): A strong self-heal that also deals damage. This skill is crucial for sustain.
    • Blazing Spear (Templar): A damage-over-time ability that also provides area-of-effect damage.
    • Channeled Focus (Templar): Provides magicka sustain and increases your armor, enhancing survivability.
    • Ultimate: Solar Prison (Templar) or Soul Shred (Nightblade): Both ultimates offer strong damage and crowd control options.

Gear Suggestions

  • Sets: Consider sets that provide a balance of damage, healing, and sustain. Sets like Julianos, Kagrenac’s Hope, or even crafted sets like Hunding’s Rage can be effective.
  • Monster Sets: Monster sets like Bloodspawn or Lord Warden can provide additional survivability and resource sustain.
  • Weapon: A powerful one-handed weapon and shield or a two-handed weapon, depending on your preference. The Master’s Sword or the Asylum’s Greatsword are excellent choices.

Champion Points

  • Blue (Offense): Focus on damage-dealing passives, such as Mighty, Thaumaturge, and Master-at-Arms.
  • Red (Defense): Prioritize survivability passives like Hardy, Elemental Defender, and Thick Skinned.
  • Green (Utility): Enhance resource sustain with passives like Arcanist and Tenacity.

Gameplay Tips for the One-Bar Solo Build

To maximize the effectiveness of this one-bar solo build, it's essential to adopt a strategic approach to gameplay. Here are some tips to help you succeed in solo content:

  • Prioritize Sustain: Resource management is crucial for a one-bar build. Ensure you have enough magicka and stamina to sustain your abilities throughout a fight. Utilize heavy attacks, potions, and gear enchantments to maintain your resources.
  • Utilize Self-Healing: Both the Templar and Nightblade classes offer potent self-healing abilities. Use these skills proactively to maintain your health and survivability.
  • Manage Crowd Control: In solo content, you'll often face multiple enemies simultaneously. Utilize crowd control abilities, such as snares, stuns, and knockdowns, to control the battlefield and prevent yourself from being overwhelmed.
  • Position Strategically: Positioning is key in any combat situation, but it's particularly important for a one-bar build, where you have limited skill options. Stay mobile, use cover, and avoid standing in harmful area-of-effect attacks.
  • Practice Your Rotation: While a one-bar build simplifies gameplay, it's still important to have a consistent rotation of skills. Practice using your skills in the most effective order to maximize your damage output and sustain.

Conclusion

Creating a decent one-bar solo build with the Templar and Nightblade classes is definitely achievable in The Elder Scrolls Online. The Templar provides a strong foundation of healing and damage, while the Nightblade enhances the build's damage potential and survivability. By carefully selecting skills, gear, and champion points, you can create a build that is both effective and enjoyable to play in solo content. While the crafting class may not contribute directly to combat skills, its passive benefits and crafting utility can further enhance the build's overall capabilities. With practice and optimization, this hybrid build can be a powerful tool for tackling a wide range of solo challenges in ESO. This build may not be the highest DPS build, but it offers a fun and engaging way to experience the game. Consider the information provided as a starting point and feel free to customize your build to suit your personal play style and preferences.