ESO Dragonknight One Bar PvP Tank Build

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

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    This build has been updated for the Update 42 patch, the Gold Road for the Elder Scrolls Online.

    Why Should You Play the ESO Dragonknight One Bar PvP Tank Build?

    The ESO Dragonknight One Bar PvP Tank Build is super durable, enabling you to tie up your opponents on the front lines while your group dps come in for the attack! Great self healing and amazing resource sustain will keep you up and in the battle, making a difference for your group in critical moments.

    ESO Dragonknight One Bar PvP Tank Build Features and Mechanics

    Below are some of the features found using the ESO Dragonknight One Bar PvP Tank Build in the Elder Scrolls Online:

    • Class – Dragonknight
    • Weapon One – Sword and Shield
    • Armor Types: 5 Heavy, 1 Medium, 1 Light
    • Mythic: Oakensoul
    • Race: Breton
    • Infection: Vampire (stage 3)
    • Attributes: 64 Health
    • Mundus Stone: Atronach
    • Scribing: Ulfsild’s Contingency, Shield Throw, Soul Burst

    Skills

    Bar One: Sword and Shield

    Two options in tanking:

    • Sword and Shield Consumes stamina and has a great ultimate
    • Frost Staff, can consume magicka to block, 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 abilities/ultimate, use frost.

    Revealing Flare (Skill Line : Support) – Slotting this gives you major protection and if you have the passives in Alliance War, increased magicka recovery.

    Defensive Stance (Morph of Defensive Posture | Skill Line : One Hand and Shield) – Increases block mitigation and blocking cost.

    Protective Plate (Morph of Protective Scale | Skill Line : Draconic Power) – Protection from ranged attacks.

    Cauterize (Morph of Inferno | Skill Line : Ardent Flame) – Decent heal for you or ally.

    Coagulating Blood (Morph of Dragon Blood | Skill Line : Draconic Power) – Our on demand burst heal.

    Magma Armor (Skill Line : Earthen Heart) – God tier survivability which is easy to maintain wearing Oakensoul.

    Scribing Skills & Grimoires – ESO One Bar PvP Tank Build

    Tank Contigency Grimoire and Scripts ESO Scribing
    Tank Shield Throw Grimoire and Scripts ESO Scribing

    Ulfsild’s Contingency, Shield Throw, and Soul Burst are the best Grimoires (skills) for a PvP Tank build in ESO. Contingency grants damage reduction and damage shield, while Shield Throw can act as a pull or ranged taunt with Major Evasion. Soul burst is helpful for shield and ultimate generation. The key here is looking at your skills and determining what buffs are missing between your skills and Oakensoul, then choosing skills that fill those gaps. There are some options included here, but you should try the build out first, then see if you want more shield, heals, or something else, and adding scribing skills in later if you want them.

    Below are some of our suggested Grimoires for PvP Tanks:

    • Ulfsild’s Contingency (Mages Guild): Damage Shield (focus script), Gladiator’s Tenacity (signature script), and Protection (affix script). 
    • Shield Throw (One-Hand and Shield): Pull or Taunt (focus script), Druid’s Resurgence (signature script), Major Evasion (affix script).
    • Soul Burst (Soul Magic): Damage Shield (focus script), Anchorite’s Potency (signature script), and Resolve (affix script). 

    The Scribing System utilizes one of 11 new skills from the Gold Road Chapter called Grimoires. With Grimoires, you can customize spells via Scripts. The scribing feature requires the purchase of the Gold Road Chapter (sponsored link). To learn more about scribing, check out our full guide here.

    Passives Skills

    Consider taking all of the passives in the below skill trees to increase your builds performance without slotting any skills:

    • Ardent Flame (class skill line)
    • Draconic Power (class skill line)
    • Earthen Heart (class skill line)
    • Sword and Shield (weapon skill line)
    • Light Armor
    • Medium Armor
    • Heavy Armor
    • Undaunted
    • Racial
    • Alliance War Support
    • Alliance War Assault
    • Crafting, Alchemy Medicinal Use
    • Infection: Vampire Stage 3 (optional)

    Gear

    Optimal with Mythics

    SlotTypeSetTraitGlyph
    HeadMediumMagma IncarnateSturdyPrismatic
    ShouldersLightDesert RoseSturdyHealth
    ChestHeavyMara’s BalmReinforcedPrismatic
    LegsHeavyMara’s BalmSturdyPrismatic
    GlovesHeavyMara’s BalmSturdyHealth
    BootsHeavyMara’s BalmSturdyHealth
    BeltHeavyMara’s BalmSturdyHealth
    Weapon OneSwordDesert RoseDecisiveAbsorb Health
    SecondaryShieldDesert RoseSturdyHealth
    NecklaceDesert RoseInfusedReduced Block Cost
    Ring 1MythicOakensoul ringInfusedReduced Block Cost
    Ring 2Desert RoseInfusedReduced Block Cost
    Optimal Gear Setup for the ESO One Bar Dragonknight PvP Tank Build
    Monster Helm and Mythic

    Magma Incarnate: Helmet obtained in Veteran dungeon The Dread Cellar, Waking Flame DLC, shoulders bought from Urgarlag Chief-bane.

    • Why? 1 piece gives stamina and magical recovery helps with sustain.
    FLEX OPTIONS:

    Oakensoul: Obtained through ESO Mythics/antiquities system. You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item. CLICK HERE FOR LEADS

    • Igneous Inlays Volcanic Vents in the High Isle and Amenos zone (High Isle)
    • Larimar Gems Titanclaw boss at Mudcrab Beach (south-west) (Stormhaven)
    • Petrified Oak Loop Murkmire Strongboxes (Murkmire zone)
    • Sacred Resin Any Mob (Malabal Tor)
    • Stone Shank Frame Blacksmithing nodes in Glenumbra (High Isle)
    Flex Options for Mythic:
    Gear Sets

    Desert Rose: Obtained in Cyrodiil Cropsford Elite Gear Vendor.

    • Why? Allows near infinite magicka sustain.

    Flex Option for Buff Set:

    Mara’s Balm: Obtained through PvP Rewards for the Worthy bags or sold on guild traders.

    • Why? Provides healing and a cleanse and the best all around defensive set.

    FLEX OPTIONS for Defensive Set

    Race

    The best race choices for the One Bar Dragonknight PvP Tank:

    1. Breton: Best overall magicka resource sustain race.
    2. Argonian: Blend of survival and resource sustain.

    Attributes

    The best choice is 64 health, which increases your survivability.

    Mundus Stone

    The Atronach is the best Mundus Stone for One Bar PvP Tank Builds because it increases increases Magicka recovery.

    Champion Points – ESO Dragonknight One Bar PvP Tank Build

    CraftWarfareFitness
    Liquid EfficiencyIroncladBoundless Vitality
    Gifted RiderHope InfusionBracing Anchor
    Steed’s BlessingFocused MendingPain’s Refuge
    War MountDuelist’s RebuffSurvival Instincts
    Champion Points for Dragonknight One Bar PvP Tank Build

    Warfare Constellation Champion Points – ESO One Bar Dragonknight PvP Tank

    ESO Warfare Champion Tree

    Below is a step-by-step method for slotting your champion points in the Warfare tree (blue). We have used the minimum possible to reach 4 slottable selections all maxed out. If you have more CP, consider taking more in the passives for optimal performance.

    Below are recommended Warfare Champion Point selections for the ESO One Bar Dragonknight PvP Tank:

    1. Eldritch Insight – 10
    2. Mastered Curation – sub constellation – Blessed – 10
    3. Mastered Curation – sub constellation – Hope Infusion (slottable) 50
    4. Focused Mending (slottable) 50
    5. Staving death – sub constellation – quick recovery – 10
    6. Staving death – sub constellation – ironclad – (slottable) 50
    7. Duelist’s Rebuff – (slottable) 50

    This would be the bare minimum setup, spending 230 CP (690 total required). The next step is to max out passives, that do not require a slottable but increase performance.

    1. Precision 20
    2. Piercing 20
    3. Tireless discipline 20
    4. Eldritch insight 10
    5. Blessed 10
    6. Quick recovery 20
    7. Battle mastery 40
    8. Mighty 30
    9. Flawless ritual 40
    10. War mage 30
    11. Elemental aegis 20
    12. Hardy 20
    13. Preparation 20

    This would max out the Warfare tree with all active and passive champion points at 530 spent 1,590 total spent.

    Fitness Constellation Champion Points

    ESO Fitness Champion Tree

    Below are recommended Fitness Champion Point selections for the ESO One Bar Dragonknight PvP Tank:

    1. Boundless Vitality (slottable) 50
    2. Sprinter – 10
    3. Wind Chaser – sub constellation – Hasty – 8
    4. Tireless Guardian – 10
    5. Walking Fortress – sub constellation – nimble protector – 3
    6. Walking Fortress – sub constellation – Bracing Anchor (slottable) 50
    7. Hero’s Vigor – 10
    8. Survivor’s spite – sub constellation –  Mystic Tenacity – 10
    9. Survivor’s spite – sub constellation – Pain’s Refuge (slottable) – 50
    10. Survival Instincts – (slottable) – 50

    This would be the bare minimum setup, spending 251 CP (753 total required). The next step is to max out passives, that do not require a slottable but increase performance.

    1. Hero’s vigor 10
    2. Tumbling 30
    3. Sprinter 10
    4. Defiance 20
    5. Hasty 8
    6. Tireless guardian 10
    7. Fortification 30
    8. Nimble 3
    9. Mystic tenacity 40
    10. Tempered soul 50
    11. Piercing gaze 30
    12. Savage defense  30
    13. Bashing brutality 20

    This would max out the fitness tree with all active passive champion points at 542 cp spent 1,626 total spent.

    Craft Constellation Champion Points

    ESO Craft Champion Tree

    Below are recommended Craft Champion Point selections for the ESO One Bar Dragonknight PvP Tank:

    1. Steed’s blessing – (slottable) 50
    2. Breakfall 10
    3. Wanderer 15
    4. Steadfast 10
    5. Rationer 10
    6. Liquid efficiency (slottable) 75
    7. Treasure hunter 50
    8. Master gatherer 15
    9. Gifted rider (slottable) 100
    10. War mount (slottable) 120

    This would be the bare minimum setup, spending 455CP (1365 total required). The next step is to max out passives, that do not require a slottable but increase performance.

    1. Steadfast enchantment 40cp
    2. Breakfall 40 cp
    3. Wanderer 60
    4. Fortunes favor 10
    5. Friends in low places 25
    6. Out of sight 30
    7. Fleet of Phantom 40
    8. Soul’s Reservoir 33
    9. Gilded fingers 50
    10. Fortunes favor 40
    11. Inspiration boost 45
    12. Infamous 30

    This would max out the crafting tree with all active passive champion points at 898 cp spent 2,694 total spent.

    Consumables

    Bewitched Sugar Skulls food and Essence of Health (tri-stat) potions are the best consumables for a Dragonknight one bar PvP Tank in the Elder Scrolls Online. Bewitched gives you all three useful resources and health recovery tools for a tank. Tri-stat potions give you health and a flood of both magicka and stamina for blocking and casting spells. Orzorga’s Smoked Bear Haunch or Jewels of Misrule can be used as an alternative to Bewitched Sugar Skulls.

    • Bewitched Sugar Skulls: Increase Max Health by 4620, Max Stamina and Max Magicka by 4250, and Health Recovery by 462 for 2 hours. Ingredients: Scrib Jelly, Flour, Columbine, Bervez Juice, and Honey.
      • Orzorga’s Smoked Bear Haunch (recovery): Increase Max Health, Health Recovery, and Stamina and Magicka Recovery (effects are scaled based on your level). Ingredients: Red Meat, Tomato, White Cap, Frost Mirriam, and Perfect Roe.
      • Jewels of Misrule (cheap): Increase Stamina and Magicka Recovery and Max Health for 2 hours. Ingredients: Rose, Mint, Lotus, Columbine, and Bervez Juice.
    • Essence of Health (tri-stat): 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.
      • Essence of Immovability: Restores health and stamina and is immune to knockback effects. Ingredients: Namria’s Rot, Columbine, and Mountain Flower.

    Build Summary – ESO Dragonknight One Bar PvP Tank

    Class: Dragonknight

    Race: Breton

    Attributes: 64 Health

    Mundus Stone: Atronach

    Infection: Vampire (Stage 3)

    Weapon One: Sword and Shield

    Armor Set 1: Mara’s Balm

    Armor Set 2: Desert Rose

    Monster Helm: Magma Incarnate

    Mythic: Oakensoul ring

    Armor Weight: 1 Light, 1 Medium, 5 Heavy

    Food: Bewitched Sugar Skulls

    Potion: Essence of Health (tri-stat)

    Skill Bar 1

    • Protective Plate
    • Cauterize
    • Revealing Flare
    • Coagulating Blood
    • Defensive Stance
    • Magma Armor (Ultimate)

    Possible Scribing Skills

    • Ulfsild’s Contingency (Mages Guild):
      • Damage Shield (focus script)
      • Gladiator’s Tenacity (signature script)
      • Protection (affix script)
    • Shield Throw (One-Hand and Shield):
      • Pull or Taunt (focus script)
      • Druid’s Resurgence (signature script)
      • Major Evasion (affix script)
    • Soul Burst (Soul Magic):
      • Damage Shield (focus script)
      • Anchorite’s Potency (signature script)
      • Resolve (affix script)

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