The Elder Scrolls Online damage meta is constantly shifting, and the recent nerf to the Null Arca arena weapon has left many players rethinking their builds. Two popular armor sets often paired with this weapon are Tideborn and Deadly, each bringing distinct advantages. Deciding which one to slot alongside the Velothi Ur-Mage’s Amulet mythic can feel like a toss-up, but understanding the mechanics and your build’s priorities will make the choice clear.
This guide breaks down how Null Arca works after the nerf, what Tideborn and Deadly offer, and how to match them to your class and combat scenarios. Whether you’re chasing top parses or just want an effective all-around setup, here’s everything you need to know.
Understanding Null Arca and Its Nerf
Null Arca, the arena weapon from the Vateshran Hollows, applies a damaging effect to enemies hit by your Light Attacks. Before the nerf, it was a cornerstone of many high-end DPS builds because it provided a large chunk of passive damage with no additional resource cost. The weapon’s power was in its consistency: every Light Attack weave in your rotation would trigger the effect, adding up to significant DPS over a fight.
The nerf reduced the base damage of this effect, making it less dominant. However, Null Arca remains a viable choice because it still scales with your weapon and spell damage, critical chance, and other offensive stats. It continues to reward skillful Light Attack weaving, which is a core mechanic in ESO. The key change is that other sources of damage, such as proc sets or class skills, now have more room to compete. This means the set you pair with Null Arca matters more than ever.
Comparing Gear Sets: Tideborn vs. Deadly
Tideborn’s Embrace
Tideborn is a light to medium armor set from Summerset that summons a wave of water when you deal damage with a Light Attack. This wave deals Frost or Magic damage (based on your highest stat) to enemies in front of you. The proc has a short cooldown of just over one second, meaning it triggers very frequently if you maintain a fast Light Attack cadence. It offers an excellent balance of single-target and cleave damage because the wave hits multiple enemies in a cone.
Tideborn’s strength lies in its reliability and range. Since the proc is triggered by any Light Attack, it works seamlessly with any class and spammable. It adds a noticeable amount of passive damage that requires no adjustment to your rotation, making it a low-effort, high-reward set.
Deadly Strike
Deadly is a medium armor set originating from Cyrodiil and the Guild Trader economy. It increases the damage of your Damage-over-Time and Channeled abilities by 15%. Unlike Tideborn, Deadly does not provide a separate damage proc; instead, it amplifies a portion of your existing skill damage. This makes it extremely potent for builds that rely heavily on DoTs and channels, most famously the Templar’s Puncturing Sweeps ability.
Deadly’s effectiveness scales with the proportion of your damage that comes from DoTs and channels. For classes like Dragonknight (with many extended DoTs) or Arcanist (which channels its Beam), Deadly can elevate a significant portion of the rotation. However, if your build uses few such abilities, the 15% bonus may not outweigh the flat damage from a proc set like Tideborn.
Synergy with Null Arca and Velothi Ur-Mage’s Amulet
The Velothi Ur-Mage’s Amulet mythic item increases the damage of your Light and Heavy Attacks by 10% and grants a small amount of Ultimate whenever you hit with a fully-charged Heavy Attack. This amulet synergizes beautifully with Null Arca because the shield’s effect is triggered by Light Attacks, and any bonus to Light Attack damage indirectly makes the weapon hit harder because Null Arca scales off your overall damage stats.
When you front-bar Null Arca, the rest of your gear setup usually includes two full 5-piece sets and the mythic item (with one piece of a monster set or a filler item). You’ll be casting most of your abilities on the back bar, then swapping to the front bar for your spammable and Light Attacks. This makes both Tideborn and Deadly viable options, but they interact differently with the weapon and mythic.
Tideborn’s frost wave adds a standalone damage source that doesn’t care what skill you’re using. It pairs neatly with Null Arca because both are Light Attack-triggered effects. Together, they create a constant stream of passive damage that benefits from the Velothi amulet’s Light Attack buff. Deadly, on the other hand, amplifies specific skills rather than adding new damage. The Velothi amulet’s Heavy Attack bonus can also fuel your Ultimate generation, which may indirectly benefit Deadly by allowing more frequent Ultimate casts that count as channeled abilities for some classes (like the Templar’s Crescent Sweep). However, Deadly’s primary value is in boosting your core DoTs and channels, not in direct synergy with the weapon or mythic.
Which Set Should You Choose? Scenarios and Recommendations
The decision boils down to your class, the content you run, and your personal playstyle. Here’s a breakdown to help you decide:
- For Templars and Arcanists: Deadly is often BiS (Best in Slot) because both classes have powerful channeled abilities that form a large part of their DPS. The 15% bonus to Puncturing Sweeps or Fatecarver is hard to beat. Null Arca on the front bar complements this by adding Light Attack damage while you channel; the velothi amulet further buffs those Lights.
- For Dragonknights and Sorcerers: Tideborn tends to pull ahead. These classes have fewer channels, and their DoTs are often less dominant. Tideborn’s dependable cleave damage fits well into many add-heavy fights. The extra frost/magic wave also benefits from the high penetration or critical damage bonuses these classes can stack.
- For Necromancers and Nightblades: It’s a tie. Necromancers have a mix of DoTs and a channel (Colossus ultimate), so Deadly can work, but Tideborn’s passive damage often parses equally well. Nightblades rely heavily on single-target burst and DoTs, so Deadly can be strong if you run many DoTs, but Tideborn’s cleave helps in dungeons.
- For solo or group content with lots of trash pulls: Tideborn’s cleave makes it the clear winner. Deadly is stronger in extended single-target fights where channels and DoTs are fully ramped.
After the nerf, Null Arca is no longer mandatory, so the set you pair it with must pull its weight. If you find yourself frequently switching bars and nailing Light Attacks, Tideborn’s passive damage will stack up fast. If your rotation is filled with class channels and DoTs, Deadly will likely give you bigger final parses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Null Arca still worth using after the nerf?
Absolutely. While its damage was reduced, it remains a strong option for anyone who consistently weaves Light Attacks. The fact that it scales with your stats and requires no extra effort keeps it competitive. If you already have a well-optimized Light Attack weave, Null Arca can still account for a solid chunk of your total DPS. Just be mindful that sets like Pillar of Nirn might now outpace it in certain builds, so test on a dummy if possible.
Which set should I use: Tideborn or Deadly with Null Arca and Velothi?
If your class relies heavily on channeled abilities (Templar, Arcanist) or you have a rotation full of Damage-over-Time effects, Deadly is usually superior. For builds with fewer channels and more emphasis on spammables or proc sets, Tideborn provides excellent passive damage and cleave. The Velothi amulet works well with both, but Null Arca’s Light Attack trigger makes Tideborn feel like a natural companion.
What are the sources for these items?
Null Arca drops from the final boss in the Vateshran Hollows arena on normal or veteran difficulty. Tideborn pieces come from the Summerset zone, specifically from world bosses, delves, and public dungeons, or can be bought from guild traders. Deadly Strike is acquired from Cyrodiil vendors (for Alliance Points) or from Guild Traders. Velothi Ur-Mage’s Amulet is an antiquity that can be excavated after finding its leads across various content.
Can I use both Tideborn and Deadly together?
Yes, but it’s not optimal when building around Null Arca and the Velothi mythic. You typically have only two 5-piece slots after accounting for the mythic, front-bar weapon, and back-bar weapon. If you try to run both Tideborn and Deadly, you’ll have to drop one of those support pieces, which often results in lower overall damage. It’s better to choose one set and pair it with a back-bar set like Maelstrom’s Inferno Staff or a set that provides a static damage buff.
Does Velothi Ur-Mage’s Amulet affect Null Arca’s damage?
Indirectly, yes. Velothi’s amulet increases Light Attack damage, and Null Arca’s damage scales with your weapon/spell damage. While the amulet doesn’t directly amp the proc, a stronger Light Attack means higher overall tooltip values for your character, which influences Null Arca’s scaling. Additionally, the amulet’s Ultimate gain from Heavy Attacks can help you cast more ultimates, potentially boosting Deadly’s value if those ultimates are channels.
Ultimately, both Tideborn and Deadly are excellent options that will clear all content in the game. The best approach is to farm both sets and test them on a 21-million-health trial dummy using your standard rotation. The one that yields the higher DPS while feeling smooth to play is the right choice for you.
