Welcome to the next installment of a weekly segment where we dive into oneElder Scrolls Online’smanySets, and explore what sort ofBuildsyou can make. Not only will we show you how to get the most from theseSets, but we’ll explain where to get them, what requirements there are to obtain them (if any), and everything else you could possibly want to know about them. This week’s Set is aMedium Armor Setthat was added with the recentClockwork Cityexpansion this past month:Unfathomable Darkness.
An Introduction to This Set
Unfathomable Darknesswas introduced with the addition of theClockwork City DLC(Update 16) in October/November of 2017. This Set can currently be acquired by defeating World and Delve Bosses, looting Treasure Chests and completingQuestsin theClockwork Cityregion. This zone requires the purchase of theDLCor aESO Plusmembership. This Set is bind-on-equip, so it is also possible to purchase it fromGuild Vendorsor trade with other players who have pieces. TheStyleofUnfathomable Darknessis also newly added with theDLC, called:Ebonshadow Styleand you can acquireMotifsof it by doing dailyQuestsin the region.
Since this is aOverland Set, you can get Weapons, Shields, Armor and Jewelry. TheTraitson this Armor are random, so you may have to farm in order to get the ones that you need. The Jewelry comes in Robust, making this Set ideal for Stamina Builds. There are a few unique pieces out there as well that you can get from quests, but they aren’t any better or worse than those that drop Overland.
This Set does 4,000 Physical Damage at Legendary quality. If you add 100 points intoMightyand 100 points intoMaster-at-Arms, then Unfathomable Darkness will hit for 5600 per crow at Legendary quality. You get 4 crows, so that’s a total of 22,400 damage possible over 12 seconds if you are 100% optimized (or 1867 damage per second). Let’s take a look at how you can use this Set to best results.
Proc Sets and How They Work
Proc Sets, or Sets that have “chance to apply some effect” called “Proccing” are becoming more popular in ESO and seemingly added every majorUpdate(Proc is short for: Programmed Random OCcurrence). When the conditions of the Proc Set are met the effect will trigger. However, not all Proc Sets work the same way, and some apply buffs that remain on you whether you continue to wear the Set or not. Learning how to use Proc Sets effectively is extremely important for min/maxing, especially in PvP.
An important thing to note is that Proc Sets can no longer Critically Strike or Critically Heal as ofUpdate 13(Homestead) so as to reduce their effectiveness inCyrodiil. In addition, many Proc Sets have cooldowns to keep them from being abused. When choosing a Proc Set to use, if you’re so inclined, you want to not only look at the effect, but how often you can apply it. Finding Sets with little or no cooldown is ideal, because it allows you to trigger them frequently.Unfathomable Darknesshas a 15 second cooldown, however, it lasts 12 seconds. This means you have roughly a 3 to 4 second cooldown after it expires which isn’t bad.
What You Need to Know About This Set
How this Set works is that when you deal damage you have a 10% chance to summon a murder of crows (4) that circle over head and strike out one at at time to the closest target within 12 meters. It doesn’t matter if it’s direct damage, damage over time, an AoE, or a Light Attack, Heavy Attack or even Proc Set. Just any sort of damage and it will Proc. If there are no targets within range the crows will attacks nothing every 3 seconds until they are all gone so be sure to stay close to your opponent/enemy.
In terms of effectiveness,Unfathomable Darknessis much more effective thanMad Tinkerer, because it doesn’t seem to miss its target and does track. However, it does have a downside, which is that if you get knocked back and are out of range when the next crow is supposed to strike it will not hit anything. The good news though, is that as soon as you are back in range the next crow will. This makes this Set much less “risky” as even if one crow doesn’t hit anything because you are out of range for a second, you may still connect with up to 3 more.
One other thing to note is that the crows from this Set can be Dodged if timed properly. It is rather easy to Dodge actually because a single crow strikes every three seconds, which gives you plenty of time to prepare. I’m not sure how many people would waste the Stamina to Dodge this attack 4x in 12 seconds, and it doesn’t hit overly hard against players (about 2000 against Light Armor). However, it is relevant information so I have added it here.
Notes for PvE Players
This Set probably isn’t the best for a PvE player because the proc only damages a single target as opposed to an AoE. However, with that being said, you’re able to use this in PvE. Since it’s a Proc Set that procs off of damage ideally you’d have several AoEs that you can keep up on your targets and lots of DoTs if it’s a single target, like a boss you are fighting.CaltropsandSteel Tornadoare both good choices, as well asArrow Spray(as long as you are close).
This Set lacks Stamina, so be sure to pair it with a Set that has at least 1 bonus of Max Stamina or your pool will be lower than you’d probably like. There are quite a few Sets that have 2 Max Stamina bonuses as well. Some good choices include:Bone Pirate’s Tatters,Draugr HulkandQuick Serpent.
Notes for PvP Players
Unfathomable Darknessworks much better in a PvP scenario, where hitting your target is more difficult and you may pick to fight in smaller scenarios against 1 or 2 players. Since the Set has a 12m range you will need to be a meleeBuildin order to get the best use of it. Be sure to have a gap closer to you can stay up on your target so as not to waste any crows by being too far away.
Make sure you have several DoTs or a Poison you can apply to your target to keep this Set proccing often. Skills that strike the target repeatedly are also good (Flurry,Biting Jabs, etc). Because this Set alone cannot kill anyone, you might be best served by pairing this Proc Set with another, to help burst your opponent down quickly. Some such Sets include:Morkuldin,DomihausorVelidreth.
Final Tips
Because this Set hasPhysical Penetrationon it, which is rare for mostMedium Armor Sets, you may not need as many point into thePiercingChampion Star if you are doingTrialsorDungeons(although you really shouldn’t be doingTrialswith this Set). Be sure to find out how your group is setup and whatSkillsthey are using to best determine the right amount of Phys Pen you need. Don’t waste DPS by having too much when you could be putting those points elsewhere.
Another thing you could do with this Set is back bar it with something like a Sword & Board and proc it and then swap while in PvP. This not only would allow you to control just when it goes off, but might also put some pressure on your opponent while you’re playing defensively, allowing you take the offensive. If you back bar this, be sure to use something likeAgility,ShacklebreakerorNight’s Silenceon your front bar to get the most when you are attacking.
Consider using this Set as aWerewolfor with a pack of Werewolves who all have it. You can RP a Druid from Diablo II and have quite a bit of fun! Can you image a bunch of Werewolves running around, all with a murder of crows flying above their heads? Would be pretty epic right? And since the crows seek out their targets, you’d be hitting people all over the place!
Stay tuned for moreBuild Guidescoming every week and be sure to check out our otherESO Guides!
