Nightblades inThe Elder Scrolls Onlineare almost entirely oriented around DPS in combat, with the potential for being a decent Support/DPS hybrid through the Siphoning skill tree. When it comes to playstyle and damage output inThe Elder Scrolls Online, though, one of the most important things to consider right out of the gate as a Nightblade is your choice of weapon.
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The three skill trees available to Nightblades,Assassination,Shadow, andSiphoning, each grant the player access to a variety of methods to control and shred enemies. While Assassination is single-target damage oriented, Shadow has many abilities based on subterfuge and AoE damage. Meanwhile, Siphoning turns the Nightblade into a flurry of damage and healing. It’s a class thattypically likes to dancearound enemies at near-melee range, even in the Support role. With that in mind, here are some of the best tools for dealing damage.
Updated June 29, 2025 by Erik Petrovich:The Nightblade is a class that is fantastic at damage output, pretty good at supporting and sustaining a party, and not that great at taking hits for the team. Although ESO prides itself on the ability of any class to take any dungeon role, the One-Handed and Shield skill tree, which is oriented towards Tanks, is not particularly useful for this class. However, the Dual Wield, Destruction Staff, Two-Handed, and Bow Weapon Skill Trees each have their own ups and downs when it comes to DPS. Typically, Nightblades like to stay close to combat, going in and out as they please, so weapons in the front and back bars that take advantage of this playstyle tend to work better for this class.
6One-Handed and Shield: Axes, Swords, Maces, Daggers
The One-Handed and Shield skill tree is built for tanks, utilizing damage mitigation, crowd control, and party support with its defense-oriented abilities. Though technically anyElder Scrolls Onlineclass can take on any role in a party, Nightblades just don’t get the job done as well as other classes. They are a class almost solely dedicated to DPS, with a few self-sustain and support abilities thrown in there too.
It’s not impossible to go this route with a Nightblade as long as the right skills are chosen. The skillHeroic Slashdecreases enemy damage while also giving the player enhanced Ultimate generation,Pierce Armorreduces enemy Physical and Spell resistance, andDefensive Stancecan be the difference between making it through an encounter or not. All things considered, though, other classes have abilities more directly tied to playing a Tank, and Nightblades are better off with other weapons.
5Ranged Physical: Bows
The Bow weapon skill tree offers a smattering ofAoE, single-target, and cleave abilitiesthat are best used at mid-range. Nightblades tend to move in and out of combat, thanks to the mobility granted by abilities likePath of Darkness and Teleport Strike. This might lead players to believe that the Bow is a good backup weapon at the least for the class.
However, the Destruction Staff and Restoration Staff surpass this weapon. Generally, the bowdoesn’t add much to the classthat it doesn’t already get through innate skill trees. The cleave and damage-over-time spellAcid Spray is outclassed by several Nightblade abilities.Scatter Shotis not as useful as the Nightblade’s other crowd control abilities, and even the Bow’s ranged AoE spellVolleyis outclassed by the Destruction Staff’s Wall of Elements or Pulsar abilities. The Bow is by no means a bad weapon, but it isn’t as helpful for Nightblades as it is for other classes.
4Two-Handed Weapons: Greatswords, Battle Axes, Mauls
Nightblades tend to thrive when they can deal a ton of damage (or apply damage-over-time debuffs) and then quickly move onto a new target. The Two-Handed Weapon skill tree offers the Nightblade some good utility. For example, the powerfulBattle Rushpassive boosts Stamina Regeneration upon killing an enemy. TheForward Momentumabilitygives a huge boostto Weapon Damage and Stamina Regeneration, as well as removing immobilization debuffs.
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The downside of the Two-Handed weapon tree for Nightblades, though, is that it relies on slow, powerful swings rather than a flurry of attacks. The Nightblade can make some use of its abilities, especially the skills mentioned above. Ultimately, though, it is better served with weapons that complement its unique class skills more effectively.
3Ranged Support: Restoration Staffs
Nightblades might come across as a bunch of knife-wielding killer-in-the-night types, but they can actually be played nicely in theSupport roleas well as DPS. TheSiphoning skill treespecifically is home to a number of party-wide heals and buffs as well aspowerful damage-support hybrid spells. A Restoration Staff gives the Nightblade a number of similar spells, making it the go-to Support weapon for both the primary and back weapon slots.
The Siphoning skill tree gives powerful multi-target heals likeFunnel Health, and the self-sacrifice spell Malevolent Offering. The Restoration Staff skill tree offers additional powerful abilities that don’t directly damage opponents. The skillCombatPrayeris a go-to for many Support builds for its AoE heal and buff effect, whileSteadfast Wardgives the Nightblade the ability to shield allies. In the back bar, it can make the Nightblade an effective off-Support, in case the party’s main Supportneeds a little assistance.
2Ranged Magical: Lightning Staffs, Inferno Staffs, Ice Staffs
When it comes to dealing damage at a range, there’s no better option (for most classes) than theDestruction Staff. In the secondary weapon slot, it gives the player access to spells that complement the Nightblade’s close-combat class trees. TheUltimate Eye of the Stormis a great pairing with the Nightblade’s mobility. Meanwhile, the Magicka-draining abilityElemental Draincan be helpful in refreshing the player’s resources before switching back to a close-combat weapon.
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While the Destruction Staff is a great weapon for the Nightblade’sback bar, it doesn’t do so well in the main bar foreither a DPS or Support build. Nightblades spend the majority of their combat time in close combat. Thus, the primary weapon slot is much better suited for something that can do lots of burst damage.
1Dual Wielding Weapons: Axes, Swords, Maces, Daggers
The One Handed Weapon and Shield skill tree is, all things considered, only okay for Nightblades; it focuses on Tanking abilities and self-defense. However, theDual Wield treeis the Nightblade’ssignature weapon of choice. Players can unlock this by equipping and using two One-Handed weapons at once. Interestingly enough, it is equally as good at damaging enemies as it is debuffing and healing the Nightblade, much like the Siphoning skill tree.
TheBloodthirstandBlood Crazeabilities are must-takes for soloing Nightblades for their self-sustain. Abilities like the thorny buffBlade Cloakand the powerful damage-buff-cc hybrid spellShrouded Daggersare also go-to picks. One thing to keep an eye on, though, is what types of One-Handed weapons characters have equipped. The passivesTwin BladeandBluntgrant special bonuses that depend on the weapons in the primary and secondary slot. This mostly depends on the player’s preferred playstyle.
