Best Enshrouded Tank Build

Discover how to create the best Enshrouded Tank Build, with a guide on the best weapons, skills, consumables, armor, and more!

Tank Build Guide in Enshrouded

Updated: Those builds were created during Early Access of Enshrouded for Patch #3 and will be updated upon full release and following patches. During Early Access, Keen Games Studio often introduces new updates and adjustments to skills and gameplay mechanics to prepare Enshrouded for full release. The Patch #3 added a new craftsperson, a new quest, and, most importantly, a new dungeon. The new dungeon, the Hollows, comes with new legendary gear, puzzles, enemies, and trophies you can hang in your house. There are four hollows, each with higher-level enemies and difficulty with the Kindlewaste dungeon scaling to level 25, with level 30 gear. This is now the best legendary gear in the game, and our builds will be changed to reflect this.

Tank Build Guide

The Tank build in Enshrouded emphasizes damage reduction, crowd control, and survivability through a massive health pool. What makes the Tank unique is the damage reduction, resource generation with orbs, and the ability to use multiple weapons effectively. Your enemies won’t be doing nearly as much damage to you, or allies if you play multiplayer. This build is great for players looking for a heavily armored tank that has a variety of weapons for damage sources.

This tank build will focus on melee combat, using a combination of swords, unarmed attacks, and wands for primary sources of damage. You will gain resources and health through kills and or critical strikes. Our build was created at level 25, currently the maximum level for Enshrouded Early Access.

Before progressing with our Best Enshrouded Tank Build, your character creation will not impact gameplay. There are no racial passives, ability scores, or attributes to consider. Thus, we advise you to select a character whose appearance resonates with you.

Tank Build Features & Mechanics

Tank Build Guide for Enshrouded Game

The following list presents all the features and mechanics for the Enshrouded Tank Build:

  • Primary Attribute: Constitution
  • Secondary Attribute: Strength
  • Primary Weapon: Sword and Shield
  • Secondary Weapon: Wand and Shield
  • Ranged Weapon: Staff with Acid Bite Charge
  • Best Armor: Warden
  • Best Skills: Earth Aura, Battle Heal, Life Burst, Blink
  • Best Consumables: Meat Wrap, Open Sandwich, and Fruit Bowl

Weapon Choices

Root Staff Enshrouded Game

The primary weapon for the Tank build in Enshrouded is a one-handed melee weapon with a shield equipped. The shield will allow you to block, parry, and overpower or stun targets. Moreover, this build will use unarmed attacks with the skill Begone, and multiple ranged weapons. Below is an explanation of weapon choice, and when to use them.

  • Sword and Shield – primary weapon that gives you a gap closer movement skill via Evasion Attacks. You can also heal on critical hits with Battle Heal, making it an effective weapon for survivability and mobility.
  • Wand and Shield – Wands currently do much more damage than one-handed melee weapons, and can be used at medium range. use this weapon when you need range or want to return mana on attack.
  • Staff – The staff with Eternal Acid Bite is the most powerful damage source in the entirety of Enshrouded. Moreover, you don’t need high intelligence to do good damage with this combination acquired later in the game. Thus, we recommend using Acid Bite or Fireball for your range damage source.
  • Unarmed – Using the skill Begone, you can swap to an unarmed weapon (blank slot on your bar) and attack an enemy with your bare hands. This will knock them back and stun them making a great crowd-control method for a tank build.
Eternal Acid Bite - Staff Charge - Eternal Spell - Enshrouded

Parry and Block

How to Block in Enshrouded

Enshrouded features blocking and parrying feature that requires precise timing. With a one-handed weapon and a shield equipped, you can block at any time. This cuts off stamina regeneration but mitigates and lowers damage. However, you can time a block perfectly, which parries or fills up the grey stun bar just below the health bar. This sets up an Overpowered or Merciless Attack, which with this Tank build, rewards you with resources.

The trick to parrying attacks is listening to the NPC monsters in Enshrouded. They will make verbal gestures that let you know they are attacking soon. Moreover, when their hands wield up in the air, in half a second later is a key time to block. However, if you struggle with this mechanic, simply block to reduce damage and practice over time.

Overpowered & Merciless 

Overpowered Stun
Overpowered Stun
Merciless Attack in Enshrouded
Merciless Attack

Inside the core skill tree, you can obtain the Merciless Attack skill. With this build, you gain mana upon a Merciless Attack and a lot more damage. Since you will be playing a tank, parrying, blocking, and filling up the stun bar will be commonplace. Thus, we recommend taking Merciless Attack and focusing on defensive gameplay reacting to incoming attacks.

Once the gray bar is filled under the health bar, the enemies will have a circle over their heads. If you have a Merciless Attack, you can approach and press your E key or interact button to trigger this attack. Just be warned, it can leave you vulnerable in multiple enemy encounters. Thus, it’s best to use it with one or two enemies attacking you.

Resource Orb Creation

How to Spawn Resources Orbs in Enshrouded

The skill of Bloodletting is a powerful tool for obtaining resources and health. You must score a critical hit with a magical weapon, thus a wand or a staff. If you use Fireball or Acid Bite, you can hit many targets at once, and likely generate many orbs. Additionally, you can target barrels, walls, etc., and the game will still register them as critical hits and generate orbs. Thus, creatively use this tool when under pressure to hit objects as well as targets to trigger resource sustain for you and or your party.

Taunt and Aggro

Enshrouded features two skills that draw enemies’ attention which are called Taunt or Aggro. Nemesis and Arch Nemesis draw the “attention” of the enemy when an ally draws near. We didn’t select these two skills in the skill selection primarily because they cost 5 and 3 points respectively and we don’t know if you intend to play group play. Even if you do play as a group, it may just be best to have the tank charge in and draw attention vs. eight skill points.

However, if you enjoy group play and find allies dying to aggro, consider taking these two skills. Drop one point of Strength, Updraft, and Airborne to make up the skill point differential.

Best Tank Attributes & Combat Stats

The most important stat or attribute for the Tank in Enshrouded is the Constitution. Constitution increases your health, and with the Battle Heal skill, the larger heal when critically striking with a melee weapon. The second is strength if you wish to use melee weapons frequently. If you find yourself relying on staff and wands for damage, we recommend using intelligence-based food. This will increase your intelligence by +5 at max level and give you more damage, without having to respec skills or play a Battlemage type of character.

Additionally, your Flame Altar level will increase your attribute bonus. This is a priority for improving your Enshrouded Tank build power level. 

Skill Selections

In Enshrouded, you earn skill points from leveling and completing Elixir Wells. We have broken down the skill sections based on level range and listed the best skills to select at every level for this build. While your skill points totals may change depending on your overall level, and Elixir Well completions, save up skill points if you cannot afford one at your current level. Below is what our skill points were at various levels in Enshrouded:

  • Level 10 – 36 Skill Points
  • Level 20 – 72 Skill Points
  • Level 25 – 114 Skill Points

The maximum level in Enshrouded is 25, with some enemies in further regions being level 30. The general skill selections below are geared towards combat performance specifically, and we will list and explain the most critical of all the skills. Moreover, look to the utility skill section if you prefer more utility, crafting, and less combat emphasis. Lastly, you can always respec your skill points with Runes at the Flame Altar so feel free to experiment. However, we feel the below selections are the best overall for combat power and enjoyment for the best Tank build in Enshrouded.

Level 1-10 Skills

Enshrouded Battle Heal

Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Tank Build for Enshrouded from levels 1 to 10:

  • Strength (Athlete): Increases Melee damage by 5%
  • Jump Attack (Athlete): Perform a jump attack that deals 50% more weapon damage in a small blast radius.
  • Double Jump (Survivor): Allows jumping a second time while airborne.
  • Merciless Attack (Core): Perform a Merciless attack by pressing [E] to deal massive damage to an enemy you’ve overpowered. To overpower an enemy, fill their stun bar by attacking while they block or by parrying their attacks.
  • Power Parry (Core): Increases the enemy’s stun bar gain on parry attacks. Parry while equipped with a shield. Press (RMB) to block. A well-timed block with parry the attack,
  • Constitution (Tank): Increases Health by 50
  • Shiny Plates (Tank): Physical Armor gains 10% more armor points.
  • Evasion Attack (Tank): When equipped with a melee weapon, you can perform an evade attack, which dashes towards the enemy and deals more weapon damage with (LMB).
  • Battle Heal (Tank): When dealing critical damage with a melee weapon, you will heal 5% of your maximum health.
  • Arcane Deflection (Battlemage): On a successful parry, gain 20 mana
  • Blink (Healer): Replaces the Dodge Roll Ability With a Short Range teleport.
  • Spirit (Battlemage): Increases Mana by 20.
  • Bloodletting (Battlemage): When scoring a critical hit with a magical weapon, there is a 50% chance to spawn 2 health, mana, and/or stamina orbs. Gathering the Orb replenishes 10% of the respective resources.
  • Life Burst (Battlemage): When killing an enemy with a magic weapon, all players within 15 meters of the target gain health equal to 3 times your intelligence.
  • Absorb (Tank): When you suffer magical damage, you have a 10% chance to generate 1 mana for each health point lost.

Level 11-20 Skills

Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Tank Build for Enshrouded from levels 11 to 20:

  • Snap (Tank): Restores 10% mana when triggering the Merciless Attack.
  • Soul Leech (Tank): When killing an enemy with a melee weapon, all players within 15 meters of the target gain 20 mana.
  • Heavy Plate (Tank): The maximum amount of Physical damage your armor can mitigate is increased by 10%.
  • Constitution (Tank): Increases Health by 50
  • Tower (Tank): When there are three or more enemies within 20 meters, you suffer 10% less physical damage.
  • Strength (Tank): Increases Melee damage by 5%
  • Earth Aura (Tank): All Damage against players within 10 meters is reduced by 10%
  • Warden (Tank): When there are three or more enemies within 20 meters, you suffer 15% less magical damage.
  • Constitution (Tank): Increases Health by 50

Level 21-25 Skills

Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Tank Build for Enshrouded from levels 21 to 25:

  • Thick Skinned (Tank): You will gain one constitution for each two levels of the flame.
  • Strength (Athlete): Increases Melee damage by 5%.
  • Vigorous Deflection (Athlete): you gain 30 stamina when you parry an enemy’s attack.
  • Constitution (Athlete): Increases Health by 50.
  • Constitution (Athlete): Increases Health by 50.
  • Constitution (Warrior): Increases Health by 50.
  • The Warrior’s Path (Warrior): When attacking with a melee weapon, the damage is increased by 10%.
  • Feast (Warrior): Meat now increases health by an additional 15%.
  • Spirit (Trickster): Increases Mana by 20.
  • Counterstrike (Trickster): 20% chance to inflict 50% of damage on the attacker.
  • Quick Charge (Wizard): Reduces the time staff is required to charge a spell by 50%.
  • Emergency Blink (Battlemage): You can blink while being stunned. This will break the stunned state.
  • Intelligence (Battlemage): Increases Magic damage by 5%.
  • Unity (Battlemage): Damaging enemies with wands have a 24% chance to recover 2% mana.
  • Wand Master (Battlemage): 30% Chance to spawn an additional wand projectile.
  • Sting (Battlemage): Repeated wand damage is increased by 20%.
  • Heavy Handed (Barbarian): An enemy’s stun bar is increased by an additional 20% when attacking into their block with a melee weapon.
  • Strength (Barbarian): Increases Melee damage by 5%.
  • Constitution (Barbarian): Increases Health by 50.
  • Breach (Barbarian): When you break a block with melee attacks, the target will suffer 100% more melee damage for 2 seconds.
  • Intelligence (Trickster): Increases Magic damage by 5%.
  • Begone! (Trickster): Replaces your unarmed attacks with a 30 mana cost punch that stuns.
  • Updraft (Assassin): Pressing the jump button while gliding will give you a small height boost costing 120 mana which can be used once per flight.
  • Airborne (Assassin): Gliders consume 30% less stamina.

Best Tank Skills Explained

healing on a critical strike with Barbarian in Enshrouded Game
Battle Heal
  • Evasion Attack – Makes your melee weapon a gap closer to rush the target and gives you added mobility.
  • Battle Heal – This skill gives you healing based on your max constitution when you critical strike with a melee weapon. Battle Heal is your primary passive survivability tool at the beginning of the game.
  • Blink – Changes your skill to a different appearance, but gives added distance and still consumes stamina.
  • Bloodletting – Triggers orbs when critically striking with a staff, thus aiming for many targets to gain resources back.
  • Earth Aura – Passively reduces damage for you and allies in a wide radius.
  • Begone! – Stuns targets with mana punch, though you need to have an unarmed slot on your bar (#2 in the picture above).

Utility Skills

Below are recommended utility skills for this Tank Build, if you wish to sacrifice some combat performance:

  • Mason (Core) – The pickaxe deals 30% more damage against stone objects including resource veins.
  • Miner (Core) – When you mine resources, you have a 10% chance to get additional resources.
  • Lumberjack (Core) – Felling axes do 30% more damage against wooden objects including trees.
  • Relentless Flame (Survivor) – maximum shroud time increased by 5 minutes allowing you to explore for longer.
  • Inner Fires (Survivor) – maximum Shroud time increased by 2 minutes, allowing you to explore for longer.
  • Wanderlust (Survivor) – stamina consumption for sprinting on dirt roads is reduced from 90% to 80%. Stamina consumption for sprinting on stone roads is reduced from 75% to 50%.
  • Runner (Survivor) – sprinting speed increased by 10%, and stamina consumption decreased by 10%

Tank Gameplay & Tips

Below are our gameplay strategies and tips for playing the Enshrouded tank build:

  • Opening Attack – Use a one-handed melee weapon to launch forward into an attack and close the distance. You can then swap to an unarmed slot on your bar and use an attack with Begone to stun the target. This gives you 2-3 seconds of free damage without worry about retaliation.
  • Damage – Your primary burst damage source comes from Staff with charges even though you are not high in an intelligence attribute. Specifically, Acid Bite and Fireball work great, while you can swap to Wand to replenish mana when low.
  • Survivability – Your survivability comes from melee criticals, orbs (health), potions, and high-health regeneration. It’s wise to bring potions and healing channels charges in the open world when you need burst healing.
  • Stuns – The best way to crowd control enemies with the Tank is Begone punches unarmed. You can hit multiple targets before running out of mana, then swap to the wand or use a potion to keep enemies at bay.
  • Group Play – The overall goal is to relieve damage from ally players. Simply charge in and attack every monster you can and block, blink, and punch to keep them from attacking allies. Using Chain Heal charges can help heal ally players as well and create a fun group dynamic.

Best Tank Weapons & Armor

Warden Armor in Enshrouded
Root Staff Enshrouded Game
Commander's Legendary Ring Enshrouded

Below is a list of the best Tank Build Armor and Weapons for Enshrouded:

SlotItemEffect
Main Hand WeaponWhite Wolf SwordRetaliate 20% Damage
ShieldFlame Shield14 Block
Secondary WeaponScorching Wand+16 Fire Damage
Range WeaponRoot StaffAcid Bite Charge
HeadWarden Helmet+19 Parry
Upper BodyWarden Chestplate+120 Health
ArmsWarden Gloves+4 Block
Lower BodyWarden Trousers+45 Health
FeetWarden Boots+4 Health Regen
Ring 1Commander’s Ring+30 Heath, 30 Mana
Ring 2Ring of the Ancients+1 all attributes
Best Tank Armor and Weapons for Enshrouded
  • White Wolf Sword – Found in the random chest.
  • Flame Shield –  Quest completion.
  • Scorching Wand – Obtained in a chest.
  • Root Staff – Found in a chest.
  • Warden Set – Crafted by the Blacksmith.
  • Commander’s Ring – Completing Pikes area.
  • Ring of the Ancients – Found in a random chest.
Alternative Gear Sets

If you are not at the end game, use the Blacksmith Craftsperson to craft parry and constitution gear throughout your journey until the end game. Here’s what we recommend based on your level:

  • Level 5 (Fur Armor Set) â€“ A basic form of armor crafted by the Blacksmith. Materials needed to craft are torn cloth, animal fur, string, and metal scraps.
  • Level 8 (Rising Fighter Set) â€“ First set with melee damage bonuses. Materials needed to craft are Bonemeal, Torn Cloth, String, Metal Scraps, and Resin.
  • Level 13 (Tank Set) â€“ First set with parry and health bonuses. Materials needed to craft Copper bar, Charcoal, Linen, Dried Fur, Amber, and Resin.
    • Guard of the North: this set will be found in the Pike area.
  • Level 18 (Guardian Set) â€“ Upgraded tanking set set. Materials needed to craft Amber, Bronze bars, Charcoal, Amber, Linen, and Leather.
  • Level 23 (Warden Set) â€“ Best end-game tank set set. Materials needed to craft Lapislazuli, Padding, Iron Bars, Charcoal, and Leather.
    • Gloom Monarch: unique set found in random chests in level 25 areas.
  • Level 25 (Radiant Paladin Set): This unique set is found in end-game areas with a chest with slightly better bonuses to level 23 gear.

Best Tank Consumables

Food for Tank Build in Enshrouded

The best Tank consumables are those that increase your health, strength, and regeneration. You will find alternatives to the items we list here, most of which require cooking. Experiment, collect, and cook everything to see what you can obtain early in the game. However, later you will find many items but must consume them to keep the buffs active.

  • Meat Wrap – gain +5 constitution, +1 intelligence for 45 minutes.  Crafted from the Farmer using Water, Red Mushroom, Raw Sand Digger Meat, and Flour.
  • Open Sandwich – increase +4 strength, +2 constitution for 45 minutes.  Crafted from the Farmer using Saffron, Grilled Wolf Meat, and Flat Bread.
  • Fruit Bowl – gain +6 health regeneration, and +3 stamina recharge for 45 minutes.  Crafted from the Farmer using Honey, Strawberry, Purple Berries, and Yucca Fruit.
  • Elixir – Increase damage multiplier by +3-% and reduce shroud time by 1 minute for 30 minutes.  Found in a random chest in the open world.
  • Flask of Fell – Increases stamina by +20 for 30 minutes. Crafted by the Alchemist with Shroud Liquid, Strawberry, and Forest Beet.
  • Revitalizing Health Potions – Instantly restores 800 health.  Crafted by Alchemist with Honey, Aloe, Chamomile, and Alchemical Base.

Healing

How to Heal in Enshrouded

In addition, make sure to carry berries (blueberries or strawberries) for health regeneration, water for stamina regeneration, and bandages for healing. As you advance, you can unlock the Alchemist and craft healing potions. This will help you early with survival, then start optimizing for damage with consumables.

Build Summary – Best Enshrouded Tank Build Guide

Primary Attribute: Constitution

Secondary Attribute: Strength

Consumables

  • Meat Wrap (increase constitution)
  • Open Sandwich (increase strength)
  • Fruit Bowl (regeneration)

Best Skills

  • Earth Aura
  • Battle Heal
  • Blink
  • Bloodletting

Armor

  • Head Warden
  • Upper Body Warden
  • Arms Warden
  • Lower Body Warden
  • Feet Warden

Weapons

  • Sword with Shield
  • Wand with Shield
  • Staff Acid Charges
  • Standard Shield
  • Rings Max Health

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