https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/455092/raid-buffed-dps-comparison-of-each-race-by-class-tests-graphs-interpretation-and-final-score#latest - Check this out for raid buffed DPS instead of solo buffed DPS.
Greetings,
Over the last ten hours, I tested every DD race in the game. Below, I noted the test procedure and the results.
Aim
To test every race and find their DD situation and their overall feel for the role.
Procedure
Nightblade based self-buffed DPS tests against Robust Skeleton (6M HP) is repeated 5 times, taking the Average as the result. DPS may vary in real fights.
Gear and Food/Drinks
Magicka - Spell Strategist, Mother's Sorrow, Valkyn Skoria
Stamina - Relenquen, Advancing Yokeda, Kraagh
Altmer, Dunmer (mag), Khajiit (mag), Argonian - Max HP/Max Mag/Mag Recovery Drink
Breton - Max HP/Max Mag Food
Mundus - Lover all cases
Orc/Khajiit/Dunmer - Max HP/Max Stam/Stam Recovery Drink
Redguard/Bosmer - Max HP/Max Stam Food
Imperial - Max Stam/Stam Recovery Food
Armor Enchants - Health Enchants are used to get 17k HP, then stacked the remaining into primary damage resource.
Weapon Traits and Enchants (Mag) - Infused Fire Staff with Shock Enchant and Infused vMA Lightning Staff with Berserker Enchant
Weapon Traits and Enchants (Stam) - Nirnhoned Axe Main Hand/Sharpened Dagger Off Hand - Double DoT poisons and Infused vMA Bow with Berserker Enchant
Jewelry Traits and Enchants - 2 Bloodthirsty + 1 Infused all Weapon/Spell Damage
Results
Magicka DPS - Overall races are very close with a difference lesser than 1.5k between top and bottom. The races are ranked below.
- Breton(
) - Their insane sustain is capable of infinitely sustaining most rotation even with blue food, making them a serious contender for the best DPS. - Altmer() - Overall, they are the most well-rounded magicka DPS dealer this time around. Though Breton beats them in self-buffed DPS by a very small margin, in groups with sustain support, they can easily come out on top.
- Khajiit() - They are going to become very capable mages this patch onwards, though sustain is a major PITA. In well-coordinated raids with perfect Warhorns and constant sustain support, they should be able to easily challenge pure magicka races.
- Dunmer() - They are very capable mages, even though they are not the best anymore. As long as sustain challenges are overcome, they will do fine in any content.
- Argonian() - In spite of not being a true DD race, they perform fairly well as a DPS unit enough earn a place in any vet content.
) - Their insane sustain is capable of infinitely sustaining most rotation even with blue food, making them a serious contender for the best DPS.
) - Overall, they are the most well-rounded magicka DPS dealer this time around. Though Breton beats them in self-buffed DPS by a very small margin, in groups with sustain support, they can easily come out on top.
) - They are going to become very capable mages this patch onwards, though sustain is a major PITA. In well-coordinated raids with perfect Warhorns and constant sustain support, they should be able to easily challenge pure magicka races.
) - They are very capable mages, even though they are not the best anymore. As long as sustain challenges are overcome, they will do fine in any content.
) - In spite of not being a true DD race, they perform fairly well as a DPS unit enough earn a place in any vet content.
Stamina DPS - Stamina DPS as a whole, took a hit with the DW nerf both in terms of damage and sustain from Absorb Stamina Enchant (106.7 stamina recovery loss equivalent). All races are fairly close to each other.
- Orc() - Orc comes out as the top PvE stamina race with their new weapon damage buff becoming probably the best stamina passive in the game. Their recovery passive buff is twice as high the loss from the DW changes, meaning it cancels out the loss and gives them more stamina return even after that.
- Bosmer() - Much suprising, Bosmer is the next strongest stamina DD race this time, virtually tying with Orc for the top spot. Their sustain as well as overall resources has undergone an insane buff cancelling out the sustain loss from DW changes and still having additional stamina reserves.
- Redguard() - They are still the stamina powerhouses they always were. Using weapon spammables, they can easily reclaim top spot. Their sustain buff also cancels out the sustain loss from DW changes.
- Dunmer() - They are boasting the highest raw damage stamina race in the game, but their sustain is virtually non-existant. In proper groups, they have the potential to take the top DPS spot.
- Khajiit() - Stat-wise, they are virtually at the same spot in PvE as live. However, they are hit the hardest with the DW changes, as their sustain is the only one that did not get buffed and hence does not cancel out the sustain loss. Additionally, their crit passive was the only one that affected enchants and hence, enchant nerf indirectly affected them the most. Still, they are good DPS and depending on group sustain support and Warhorn frequency, they can do great in vet content.
- Imperial() - They have huge stamina reserve to play with (more than any other races) but once it runs out, they have no means to refill it. DW sustain changes hit them pretty hard as well, dropping their overall DPS.
) - Orc comes out as the top PvE stamina race with their new weapon damage buff becoming probably the best stamina passive in the game. Their recovery passive buff is twice as high the loss from the DW changes, meaning it cancels out the loss and gives them more stamina return even after that.
) - Much suprising, Bosmer is the next strongest stamina DD race this time, virtually tying with Orc for the top spot. Their sustain as well as overall resources has undergone an insane buff cancelling out the sustain loss from DW changes and still having additional stamina reserves.
) - They are still the stamina powerhouses they always were. Using weapon spammables, they can easily reclaim top spot. Their sustain buff also cancels out the sustain loss from DW changes.
) - They are boasting the highest raw damage stamina race in the game, but their sustain is virtually non-existant. In proper groups, they have the potential to take the top DPS spot.
) - Stat-wise, they are virtually at the same spot in PvE as live. However, they are hit the hardest with the DW changes, as their sustain is the only one that did not get buffed and hence does not cancel out the sustain loss. Additionally, their crit passive was the only one that affected enchants and hence, enchant nerf indirectly affected them the most. Still, they are good DPS and depending on group sustain support and Warhorn frequency, they can do great in vet content.
) - They have huge stamina reserve to play with (more than any other races) but once it runs out, they have no means to refill it. DW sustain changes hit them pretty hard as well, dropping their overall DPS.Conclusion
The races are all fairly close to each other in the DPS regard, meaning ZOS has been successful in their overall goal. However, there is a certain disparity between the races for a DD role apart from their DPS, that it is pretty significant. The lower the natural sustain of a race, the more unforgivable it's rotation becomes. In simple terms, races like Breton, Bosmer, Redguard can afford to make mistakes and recover without any significant loss of DPS. On the other hand for an Imperial, Khajiit or Dunmer, a slight slip up can mean running out faster than intended and going on a heavy attack rota causing a huge DPS hit.
Also, this is a purely solo-buffed DPS test. In groups, DPS might vary somewhat more, group buffs tend to introduce more standard deviation. Depending on the rate at which the group buffs are being used, i.e. Warhorn Frequency and Orbs/Shard efficiency, the ranking are changed. In a perfect group, where nobody suffers from sustain issues and Major Force up-time is maximum, Khajiit will get a better ranking, possibly number one for magicka beating Altmer by a small margin, Dunmer and Breton following a bit after that. On the stamina side however, it is even closer, with all raw damage races, Orc, Khajiit and Dunmer staying very close, followed by Bosmer and Redguard. The DPS races are still however very close, infact. The thing that is happening here is that the better group, the lesser the chance of mistakes and if sustain issues are cancelled out by support, the raw damage races can go all out. It is very similar to the situation between Redguard and Khajiit on Live, where Khajiit has the theoritical better DPS but Redguard is far more forgiving. This changes depending on whether the said class has critical damage or not. Nightblades and Templars favor Khajiit the most, where as other classes makes Orc/Altmer/Dunmer shine out a bit more.
