The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind Guide Combat, Crafting, and Activities Combat

Additional Combat Tactics

As you progress, you should learn to focus your combat prowess on a specific weapon capability in order to perfect it and become much more competent. During this time, learning the nuances of the Action Bar, Synergy attacks, and weapon swapping becomes of paramount importance.

Weapon Swapping

When you reach Level 15, you gain the option of weapon swapping. This has a couple of major benefits and should be utilized whenever it suits your purposes. It takes about a second to swap from your usual weapon (or weapons) to a “backup” set of weaponry. The best news is that your Action Bar can also be swapped, leading to the following possibilities:

Why Weapon-Swap?

It’s a great idea to weapon-swap for a number of reasons, as you then essentially have two different combat-ready weapon sets (main and off-hand), as well as abilities to utilize under different circumstances:

Archer and Melee: Choose a bow and abilities to help with ranged combat as you first encounter the enemy. Then switch to melee-centric weaponry and abilities as you close in.

Assassin and Bludgeoner: Why not sneak up to a foe with assassin-friendly weaponry and abilities, get in a stealth strike for additional damage, then switch to two-handed (or other) weaponry and abilities once you’re seen?

One-Hand and One-Hand: You can choose two sets of similar weapons, with identical abilities, in case you find a combination of armaments and augmentations you don’t want to change.

Enchanted Weapons: Even if you choose two sets of similarly effective weapons and abilities, you should enchant each set differently. For example, have one deal mainly fire-based damage while the other inflicts frost-based damage.

Ability Longevity: Picking your abilities for the first and “swapped” Action Bars is also worth pondering. You can use an ability that lasts a while, swap to your alternate set of abilities, and still have the effects of the first ability active.

Finally, remember that swapping weapons and abilities uses up a small amount of Magicka and Stamina during combat, so only do so if you have the necessary reserves. Outside of combat, weapon swapping does not sap Magicka and Stamina.

Action Bar Abilities

The Action Bar (also known as the Abilities Bar, Combat Bar, Hotkey Bar, or Skills Bar) appears at the bottom of your screen. It has five slots for different abilities you can quickly access, and a sixth slot for your Ultimate Ability. These skills are interchangeable and are almost exclusively used during combat. When you reach Level 15, you’re able to weapon-swap and create a second Action Bar to use with your alternate weaponry (which can be the same, or a completely different set of skills), bringing your total available abilities to 12 (10 usual and two Ultimate). Abilities fall into one or more of the following general categories:

An Action Bar, fully resplendent with a perfect combination of complementary abilities, turns you into a true master of combat.

Active (Activated) Effects

These are usually the most beneficial and well-used in your Action Bar, and cost Magicka or Stamina. They typically perform a damage-based attack on a target, add to the potency of the weapon you’re holding or armor you’re wearing, or provide some other bonus. Some abilities require you to manually select a foe, while others have an area of effect the enemy must be in to be harmed by the attack’s effects. Some may need to be aimed by selecting a location in your field of vision.

Example: Evasion (Medium Armor): This increases your dodge chance by 20% for 20 seconds, but only after you trigger it. You cast it on yourself.

Passive (Slotted) Abilities

These are abilities that may be Active, Toggled, or Ultimate, but which also grants you a bonus. They don’t have to be slotted into your Action Bar, and they usually entail specific applications. For example, Passive weapon bonuses are only applied when you have a specific weapon equipped. Passive Abilities possess equipment or slotting requirements that must be met before you can enjoy the benefits of the ability. Your end goal is to have as many of these abilities active at once as you’re able, especially with the Champion System, as they’re essentially free bonuses you don’t actively have to worry about!

Example: Magicka Controller (Mages Guild): This increases your Maximum Magicka and Magicka Recovery by 1% for each Mages Guild ability slotted.

Toggled (On-Off) Abilities

Some abilities have a reasonably clear “on” and “off” functionality, remaining inactive until you enable them. Some may require a constant sapping of Stamina or Magicka, may lower these stats during the time they’re active, or may require a single additional cost when enabled. They’re disabled if you weapon-swap.

Example: Magelight (Mages Guild): This enhances your spellcasting when you cast on yourself, at the cost of Magicka.

Ultimate Ability

The sixth slot in your Action Bar is reserved for an Ultimate Ability. As the name suggests, these are extremely powerful, with impressive and devastating effects, employed occasionally, and are used once your character has obtained them. They aren’t initially available to you, becoming unlocked as you advance your Experience through a specific skill line or character class. Ensure your Ultimate complements your other abilities, both Passive and in your Action Bar.

The resource that powers Ultimate Abilities is called Ultimate. Currently you can store up to 500 Ultimate. This resource is generated for several seconds after you land a light or heavy attack. Pair this with the Heroism buff, as it provides additional Ultimate generation (as do a few Passive Abilities) to fill up your Ultimate more quickly. This is the reason why weaving (aka “animation canceling”) is so valuable; it generates Ultimate without slowing down your attack rotation.

Example: Berserker Strike (Two-Handed): Become more proficient and unlock more skills in this skill line to deliver a truly vicious blow to an enemy. You also gain Spell and Physical Resistance.

A Winning Combination

Reading Is Fundamental: It’s imperative you know exactly how each Active Effect works. There’s no point in launching an attack that requires you to pinpoint an area of ground if you fail to select the terrain, or in conjuring a frost-based attack on a foe who’s impervious to the cold. Read ability descriptions thoroughly.

The Correct Combination: When you’ve chosen a main weapon you’re happy with, ensure the Action Bar abilities you choose are picked to improve this particular weapon as you level up. Proficiency in your main weapon, and skills to augment it, is a worthwhile use of Skill Points early in your adventure.

A Winning Combination: Be sure to utilize any racial, class-based, equipment (weapon and armor), guild, and skill tree abilities along with the Action Bar abilities you use the most, to achieve the most potent, damaging, and helpful buffs while engaging in combat.

Synergy (Coordinated Attacks)

Though lone warriors can gain greatness, a faster way to defeat foes is to play well with a team. Certain skills have a “synergetic” component, which allows others in your party to add to the effects of an attack. This may create a more potent form of the original attack, or imbue teammates with increased damage or hit potential.

Need an unstoppable method of felling foes? Then coordinate so that one of your party launches an attack, after which all other party members receive a message that a Synergy is available. These should then be launched, providing you have the necessary abilities, as well as the Stamina or Magicka to do so. Synergy attacks have a recharge period, so your party can’t use them constantly, and are most beneficial when you’re adventuring through public dungeons (instances) and encounter particularly troublesome monsters.

Synergy Types and Examples

Undaunted: Though many skill lines have abilities that can be used in unison with teammates, the Undaunted skills are the most plentiful.

Example 1 (Skill Synergy): Blood Altar (Blood Funnel and Blood Feast): This heals you and your allies by a percentage of the damage you inflict. Allies can cast Blood Funnel or Blood Feast to increase the healing potential as combat continues.

Example 2 (Synergetic Actions): Teammates with different skills can work together. One places an immobilizing trap on the ground, while another sets fire to the area around the trap. Now an enemy caught in this trap suffers additional Fire Damage.

Example 3 (Instances): Certain Synergies are only available during specific battles, such as the Brace for Impact Synergy you’re able to access during the Lord Warden Dusk fight in the Imperial City Prison. These appear only during occasional, and usually tough, battles, and it’s almost always worth activating the Synergy to bolster your chances of victory.