We explain and rank the top 10 Scripts in ESO, a spell component of Scribing introduced in The Gold Road Chapter, so you can confidently use them.
Scribing is the new spell crafting system in the Elder Scrolls Online Gold Road Expansion. With Scribing, you can create customized skills and abilities to suit your intended build and playstyle. This is quite possibly the biggest combat change ESO has seen, maybe ever.
The foundation of scribing is selecting the base skill, called a Grimoire, then you add three Scripts to that Grimoire. You choose between many different Focus, Signature, and Affix Scripts, but not every Grimoire has access to every Script there is.
Top ESO Scripts Ranked – What to Use
The best ESO Scripts you should use, ranked from best to worst, are:
- Fencer’s Parry
- Class Mastery
- Major Vitality
- Crusader’s Defiance
- Assassin’s Misery
- Gladiator’s Tenacity
- Warrior’s Opportunity
- Minor Heroism
- Pull
- Druid’s Resurgence
What are the Best ESO Scripts Ranked?
There are a lot of really strong ESO scripts coming with the Gold Road expansion. While we will speculate some on Scripts we think will be very strong, we already know some Scripts are difficult to source in the Elder Scrolls Online right now. Buffs such as Major Vitality can now easily be sourced through a single, powerful skill.
There are also many new passives and abilities found in Scripts we don’t have anywhere else in the game. There are strong Scripts like Fencer’s Parry, which deflects a direct damage attack, or Assassin’s Misery, which applies multiple guaranteed status effects. With all of the combinations, there is also a lot of customizability available in builds now. You can hand pick specific buffs or debuffs based on what your build or class is missing. Especially for PvP, the best ESO Scripts are dependent on your class and sets.
10. Druid’s Resurgence ESO Script Ranked
Druid’s Resurgence is a great resource sustain Script that will definitely see play in PvP. This is because sustain is often sourced through passives, sets, consumables, or specific skills that give resources back. It isn’t often that a skill will both deal damage or heal in addition to granting resources. That’s what Druid’s Resurgence is capable of.
Druid’s Resurgence is also available in quite a few different Grimoires, and it restores resources differently depending on the skill you apply it to.
The list below includes all the Grimoires that can be combined with the Druid’s Resurgence Script:
- Wield Soul
- Torchbearer
- Vault
- Mender’s Bond
- Elemental Explosion
- Shield Throw
- Smash
The best Grimoires to combine with the Druid’s Resurgence Script are Mender’s Bond, Vault, and Smash. Mender’s Bond gives all allies who leave your tether resources per second, which is very strong to proc consistently. It’s a unique restoration of resources, which will always be valuable if certain fights are especially demanding on the group’s resources.
Vault is another incredibly strong Grimoire, and adding in a resource restore as you create distance from your target is powerful. You can pair it with a Focus Script that cc’s your target, giving you sustain while mitigating damage in the form of movement.
Smash is another strong Script that gives a bit of everything in its possible combinations. While there may be other options that are better, if you’re using Smash as a sustain skill that gives healing or shielding, the resource restore is very strong if you’re taking heavy damage and using Smash to mitigate it.
9. Pull
While not as exciting as some of the other new Scripts, Pull gives a ton of group utility that will be extremely beneficial to mid-level PvE groups and PvPers.
While we’ve always had DK chains or Silver Leash, these skills taunt in PvE content, making it primarily a tank skill. Still, tight stacks of adds are crucial to smooth add pulls. By slotting a Grimoire that doesn’t taunt with the Script Pull on it, the whole group can now pull all of the adds in tightly. In PvP, providing an additional Pull skill in addition to either dealing damage or providing additional utility in one gcd is still very strong. These skills could also definitely see some play in trials like Sunspire that do utilize taunt on a damage dealer or healer in certain groups.
Pull can also be added to aoe abilities, pulling all enemies around the target, which can make stacks even tighter.
The list below includes all the Grimoires that can be combined with the Pull Script:
- Wield Soul
- Soul Bust
- Traveling Knife
- Shield Throw
The best Grimoires to combine with the Pull Script are Soul Burst and Shield Throw. While the utility of placing this on a damage dealer or healer is nice, a tank running either an aoe stack ability or an additional Pull that also adds some damage mitigation is just stronger.
8. Minor Heroism
Minor Heroism might be the most snubbed Script on this Top Scripts Ranked list, but the reason is because it’s already supplied elsewhere. You can always run Heroism Potions without needing to take up a Script slot. In practice, this is still almost always going to be slotted on a healer because it gives insane Minor Heroism uptime without the immense cost of Heroism Potions. This is still incredibly strong, it just places a vital buff in a more accessible avenue for content.
The list below includes all the Grimoires that can be combined with the Minor Heroism Script:
- Mender’s Bond
- Trample
- Torchbearer
The best Grimoires to combine with the Minor Heroism Script are Mender’s Bond and Torchbearer. While you can also rock it on Trample, it is an odd skill that hasn’t been thoroughly tested. While Mender’s Bond and Torchbearer haven’t been either, they readily apply a lot more group utility. Mender’s Bond is the clear winner, however, since it doesn’t require a cast time and it offers the easiest 100% uptime.
7. Warrior’s Opportunity
Warrior’s Opportunity is a Signature Script that actually provides a different buff depending on which skill you use it with, similar to other abilities on this top Scripts ranked list in ESO.
The strongest Script is likely paired with the Traveling Knife Grimoire. This version of Warrior’s Opportunity causes the target to take 8% additional martial damage for 5 seconds. For classes that deal a lot of martial damage, like the Stamina Necromancer, this is a massive damage boost. This isn’t the only strong version of the Script, however. In really large groups of enemies, the Trample version of this Script is also very strong, giving an extra 5% damage increase for every target hit.
The list below includes all the Grimoires that can be combined with the Warrior’s Opportunity Script:
- Traveling Knife – enemies hit take 8% more martial damage
- Torchbearer – increases damage done to enemies with disabling effects by 10%
- Trample – increases damage done by 5% for every enemy hit, up to 20 times
- Contingency – your next direct damage attack deals an addition 2000 damage
The best Grimoires to combine with the Warrior’s Opportunity Script are Traveling Knife and Trample. Contingency is very limited due to the long cast time, and Torchbearer suffers from the same issue. Trample also has a long cast time, but you can cast the ability at range with the damage increase applying immediately as it hits targets. Still, Traveling Knife is by far the strongest version of Warrior’s Opportunity.
6. Gladiator’s Tenacity
There are only two Grimoire options that can take advantage of the Signature Script Gladiator’s Tenacity on this Top Scripts Ranked list.
Gladiator’s Tenacity provides a damage percentage reduction, but each variation of Gladiator’s Tenacity is very different. Damage reduction is still very strong when you know you’re about to take a burst of damage, so this Script will likely see quite a bit of play in both PvE and PvP content.
The list below includes all the Grimoires that can select the Gladiator’s Tenacity Script:
- Torchbearer
- Contingency
The best Grimoires to combine with the Gladiator’s Tenacity Script is likely Torchbearer. This Grimoire, with Gladiator’s Tenacity, offers a 30% damage reduction for 2.2 seconds. This isn’t a long window, but the damage reduction is massive. It can be timed with a spike in group damage so you can utilize that damage reduction as much as possible.
Contingency provides 8% damage reduction for 6 seconds. This is still very strong, and Contingency is an instant cast, rather than suffering from the Torchbearer’s long cast time. Next up on our ESO Top Scripts Ranked What to Use list, we explain number five Assassin’s Misery.
5. Assassin’s Misery
Assassin’s Misery is only available for two Grimoires, but it provides guaranteed status effect procs, which is incredible strong. In Update 41, almost all status effects received a massive buff, and it’s been showing up big time in damage numbers. That means any sources of status effect damage is going to be a viable option.
Unfortunately, this Script is held back from being absolute god-tier by the weaker Grimoire’s it requires. Still, Assassin’s Misery is very powerful in these niche uses.
The list below includes all the Grimoires that can select the Assassin’s Misery Script:
- Elemental Explosion – Afflicts Burning, Chill, Concussion, and Overcharged.
- Trample – Afflicts Concussion, Sundered, and Hemorrhaging.
- Traveling Knife – Increases the chance to apply status effects to enemies by 100%.
The best Grimoires to combine with the Assassin’s Misery Script is probably Traveling Knife and Elemental Explosion. Trash packs are the strongest scenario that Elemental Explosion will see play in, and four status effects is a ton of extra damage. This skill suffers from the long cast time, but you can start your cast as the enemies are pulled. While these status effects are a lot of damage, the chilled status effect is the notable inclusion. This makes all afflicted enemies also take 10% extra critical damage.
Trample also provides good status effects, but sundered is a bit easier to source in many builds. Classes like with a lot of Burning damage like the Dragonknight are running an Absorb Stamina weapon enchant right now to keep Sundered up on the target, especially in trash fights. This skill also just suffers more from a long cast time than elemental explosion does, since pre-casting it isn’t as easy.
4. Crusader’s Defiance
Crusader’s Defiance gives immunity to disabling effects, or cleanses snares or immobilizations depending on the Grimoire. It earns its rank on this Top Scripts in ESO list for it’s use in PvP content.
While Race Against Time will probably stay the PvE skill of choice for immunity to snares and immobilizations in places like the Halls of Fabrication, this Script is very strong in PvP. It builds crowd control immunity into skills that have other effects, effectively reducing your actions per global cooldown. If your build doesn’t already have a solid source of shredding immobilization or snare debuffs, this is an auto-include Script.
The list below includes all the Grimoires that can select this Script:
- Soul Burst – Removes up to 1 negative effect
- Torchbearer – Removes up to 1 negative effect per sweep
- Vault – Removes up to 3 snare or immobilization effects
- Mender’s Bond – Gives immunity to disabling effects to the ally
- Smash – Removes and grants immunity to Snares and Immobilizations
The best Grimoires to combine with the Crusader’s Defiance Script are Smash and Vault. This is because Smash instantly shreds all of your snares and immobilizations and gives you immunity for 4 seconds. This skill alone, while doing damage or crowd controlling your target, keeps your damage pumping in a 2h PvP build.
Vault is also a solid Grimoire choice, shredding 3 snares or immobilization effects, while creating a ton of space between you and your target. This is probably the best kiting/disengage skill in the game.
3. Major Vitality
Major Vitality is nothing new, it’s just not sourced through very many places in the Elder Scrolls Online.
Still, we only get two possible Grimoires for this powerful Affix Script. Major Vitality increases your healing received and damage shield strength by 12%. Right now, the Blackrose Prison restoration staff is the primary source of Major Vitality, applying the buff to your target for 4 seconds when you cast Steadfast Ward on them. Bone Surge and Soul Siphon are the other two skills that can also source Major Vitality.
Now, Major Vitality is build right into the tank’s kit, giving the powerful buff for 10 seconds when you cast Shield Throw, a skill that doubles as incredible utility and a taunt depending on how you build it. This easily earns Vitality a high rank on our top Scripts in ESO list.
The list below includes all the Grimoires that can select the Major Vitality Script:
- Shield Throw
- Wield Soul
The best Grimoires to combine with the Major Vitality Script is Shield Throw and it isn’t even close. This is primarily a tank buff, but it does have some niche uses for the group. Still, being able to keep this buff up 100% of the time as the tank is an insane boost to survivability.
2. Class Mastery
The Class Mastery Signature Script is a unique buff for every class in the Elder Scrolls Online.
Class Mastery is unique because you can add it to any Grimoire in ESO. With a unique buff to every class, some of these are definitely stronger than others. Still, it’s possible these Class Masteries see the most adjustments throughout the PTS cycle, as many of them are very strong and worth working into your build.
The list below includes all the Grimoires that can select the Class Mastery Script:
- Sorcerer
- Warden
- Arcanist
- Dragonknight
- Necromancer
- Nightblade
- Templar
1. Fencer’s Parry: Top Ranked ESO Script
Fencer’s Parry is a Signature Script that deflects the next direct damage attack received in a 3 second window.
Yes, this is as good as it sounds. If you can get good at timing this ability, you can deflect an insane amount of damage, saving resources, gcds, and dealing more damage. This Script is a no-brainer to include in either PvE or PvP.
The list below includes all the Grimoires that can be combined with the Fencer’s Parry Script:
- Shield Throw
- Smash
- Traveling Knife
The best Grimoires to combine with the Fencer’s Parry Script are Shield Throw and Smash. Still, Traveling Knife is good too, there are just less scenarios where you’ll take a hard hitting direct damage attack at range. Still, for 2h PvP builds and tanks rocking a sword and board, Fencer’s Parry is incredible.
The best thing about this Script is you can also build other pieces around it to make it more effective. For example, you can add a heal to the skill, and make it apply minor breach to your target. In one gcd, you’re healing or dealing damage, deflecting an attack, and applying a buff or debuff of your choice.
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