This guide gives gear, skills, champion points, and consumables for an ESO Arcanist One Bar PvP Tank Build Guide!

This build has been updated for the Update 40 patch of the Elder Scrolls Online.
Why Should You Play the ESO Arcanist One Bar PvP Tank Build?
Welcome to the ESO Arcanist One Bar PvP Tank Build for The Elder Scrolls Online. If you are looking for information about the Arcanist and everything we know about the class check out our The Elder Scrolls Online: Arcanist Class Guide. For more ESO builds click HERE. Also, consider watching me on Twitch where you can ask me questions about my current builds.
Below is a general PvP Guide that can help anyone understand and develop their PvP knowledge and skill. This video is applicable for every build and should be viewed if you want general ESO PvP knowledge that applies to all aspects, Battlegrounds, Cyrodiil, and Imperial City.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Ranged damage | Weak healing |
Huge AoE | Can be interrupted |
Good class ultimates |
ESO Arcanist One Bar PvP Tank Build Playstyle
The Arcanist uses abilities to create and consume Cruxes, small triangular glyphs floating around the character (3 max). You will use specific skills to generate Cruxes and additional abilities that consume them, amplifying abilities and triggering important class passives.
Crux consumption could provide more damage, longer duration, cheaper resource cost, and more healing. Additionally, it generates and activates important passives. For example, Crux-consumption can give you more weapon/spell or critical damage. The more you use Cruxes, the better.
The following brief guide explains the combat with the ESO Arcanist class in builds:
- Use one primary skill as a tank, damage dealer, or healer to generate Crux.
- Consume that Crux with one or two skills for better damage, healing, and defenses.
- Start building Crux again to use the other skill for another in-combat advantage.
- In between combing Crux, maintain your buffs, healing, and damage over time skills.
- Your build wants to find the sweet spot of constantly generating Crux and consuming it for bonuses.
- You don’t want your build to have zero Crux or constantly three without a “dump” skill.
Skills
Bar One: Sword and Shield
- Sword and Shield Consumes stamina and has a great ultimate
- Frost Staff, can consume magicka to block, the same mitigation, or take out tri-focus for stamina blocking. The benefit of Frost Staff is, you don’t cut your sword and shield trait in half AND you have range. For these builds, if you don’t run sword and shield ability/ultimate use frost.
Revealing Flare (Skill Line : Support) – Slotted for major protection.
Defensive Posture (Skill Line : One Hand and Shield) – Increases block mitigation and blocking cost.
Resolving Vigor (Morph of Vigor | Skill Line : Assault) – Stamina based heal over time.
Rune of Eldritch Horror (Skill Line : Soldier of Apocrypha) – Provides a burst heal when dropped below 50% life.
Spiteward of the Lucid Mind (Morph of Runespite Ward | Skill Line : Soldier of Apocrypha) – A huge damage shield that retaliates reflecting damage back.
Gibbering Shield (Skill Line : Soldier of Apocrypha) – A huge damage shield that reflects damage.
Gear 1
Gear
Slot | Type | Set | Trait | Glyph |
Head | light | Magma Incarnate | Sturdy | Prismatic |
Shoulders | light | Desert Rose | Sturdy | Health |
Chest | light | Mara’s Balm | Reinforced | Prismatic |
Legs | light | Mara’s Balm | Sturdy | Prismatic |
Gloves | light | Mara’s Balm | Sturdy | Health |
Boots | light | Mara’s Balm | Sturdy | Health |
Belt | light | Mara’s Balm | Sturdy | Health |
Weapon One | Sword | Desert Rose | Decisive | Absorb Health |
Secondary | Shield | Desert Rose | Sturdy | Health |
Necklace | Desert Rose | Infused | Reduce Block Cost | |
Ring 1 | Oakensoul Ring | Infused | Reduce Block Cost | |
Ring 2 | Desert Rose | Infused | Reduce Magicka Cost |
Desktop hover for set bonuses, mobile click once for set bonuses
Magma Incarnate: helmet obtained in Veteran dungeon The Dread Cellar, Waking Flame DLC, shoulders bought from Urgarlag Chief-bane the Pledge Master
- Why? 1 piece gives stamina and magical recovery helps with sustain.
FLEX OPTIONS:
- Baron Thirsk = 1pc magicka and stamina recovery
- Chokethorn = 1pc magicka recovery
- Shadowrend = 1pc magicka recovery
Desert Rose: obtained in Cyrodiil Cropsford Elite Gear Vendor.
- Why? allows near infinite magicka sustain.
Mara’s Balm: obtained through PvP rewards of the Worthy bags or sold on guild traders.
- Why? provides healing and a cleanse and the best all-around defensive set.
FLEX OPTIONS
- Daedric Trickery = great with Oakensoul because buff stack.
- Mark of the Pariah = good for armor keep on the body all times
- Buffer of the Swift = awesome damage reduction
- Grace of Gloom = insane survivability if you have high health
- Wretched Vitality = great resource sustain
- Trial by Fire = great pure mitigation set
- Battalion Defender = for balanced self healing
Oakensoul: obtained through ESO Mythics/antiquities system. You need 5 objects(leads) to be able to create the Mythic item. Location of the 5 leads (click for details)
- Why? The best one bar item for a DPS
Race
Best Choice
Imperial
Great for resource sustain and survivability.
Secondary Choice
Argonian
Blend of survival and resource sustain.
Attributes
Health | Stamina | Magicka |
64 | 0 | 0 |
Mundus Stone
Atronach – Increases Magicka recovery by 310
Champion Points
Consumables
Bewitched Sugar Skulls
Type: Foods
OVERALL BEST: Increase Max Health by 4620, Max Stamina and Max Magicka by 4250, and Health Recovery by 462 for 2 hours. Ingredients to make Scrib Jelly (2), Flour (5), Columbine (2), Bervez Juice (2), Honey (5)
Orzorga’s Smoked Bear Haunch
Type: Foods
BEST FOR SUSTAIN: Increase Max Health by 4312, Health Recovery by 406 and Stamina and Magicka Recovery by 369 for 2 hours. Ingredients: Frost Mirriam (1), Perfect Roe (1), Red Meat (1), Tomato (1), White Cap (1)
Jewels of Misrule
Type: Foods
CHEAP SUSTAIN OPTION: Increase Stamina and Magicka Recovery by 357 and Max Health by 3927 for 2 hours. These effects are scaled based on your level. Ingredients: Bervez Juice (1), Lotus (1), Mint (1), Rose (1), Columbine (1)
Tri-Potion
Type: Potions
Restore 7329 Health, 6618 Magicka, and 6618 Stamina immediately. Grants Major Fortitude, Major Intellect, and Major Endurance which increase your Health Recovery, Magicka Recovery, and Stamina Recovery by 20% for 31.7 seconds. (effects are scaled based on your level) Ingredients: Bugloss, Columbine, Mountain Flower
Passives
- Class Passives
- Weapon Passives
- Sword and Shield
- Armor Passives
- Light
- Medium
- Heavy
- Guild Passives
- Fighters Guild
- Undaunted
- Mages Guild
- Psijic Order
- Alliance Passives
- Assault
- Support
- World Passives
- Soul Magic
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