ESO Magicka Arcanist PvE Build

Table of Contents

• Should You Play This Build?
• Skills
• Rotation
• Gear
• Passives Skills
• Race
• Mundus Stone
• Champion Points
• Consumables
• Wrap Up

Last Updated: 2023-06-08

Should you play this build?

The ESO Magica Arcanist PvE Build is an incredible class to play in the group. This build has ranged abilities and, as a result, great flexibility in weapon choices. Arcanist’s Crux system makes a unique playstyle with three well-equipped skill trees and complete tools for good damage, healing, and survivability. Yet, the Arcanist’s downside can be a weak resource sustain that forces you to play hybrid build and can be hard to manage for beginners. However, as long as you have the class passives unlocked and after a couple of minutes, that should not be too much of an issue.

Last Updated on June 8th, 2023.  I’ve added some mythic and gear set options after using Dual Wield on the front and the new mythic Veloth Ur.  In group play, you will be focused on playing in the melee range, especially in trials.  We will have flexible back bar weapon choices along with front bar choices for the Magicka Arcanist PvE Build.

The Best Magicka Arcanist Build

In ESO, the Magicka Arcanist is perfect for everyone looking for a unique playstyle with a complete set of tools for solo PvE gameplay. If powerful tomes of Hermaeus Mora and following “pros” is what you are looking for, this build is for you!

Pros	Cons
Incredible damage	Light armor passives weak
Ranged abilities	Vulnerable while beaming
Easy rotation

Keep reading for all the details about Skills, Rotation, Gear, Passives, and Champion points for the build! The Gear section will include options for Beginner, Intermediate, and Optimal set-ups, with plenty of flex options available for those still filling out their sticker books.

 

Related: Top 5 Tips for Increasing Your DPS

 

Magicka Arcanist Playstyle in PvE

Use the following build rotation as the starter point for the Stamina Arcanist playstyle in PvE. After, apply your buffs and cast the DoT skills on cooldown for the best, highest DPS. In total, the Damage over Time skills (DoTs) do more damage than your main spammable. Thus, they need to be cast less often and are easier to maintain, for example, the Barb Trap from Fighters Guild. Maintain DoTs and use your spammable skill as filler until you need to reapply the DoTS.

As an Arcanist, you’ll need to generate and consume Cruxes to constantly enhance your stats, so keep close attention to it. The Writhing Runeblades skill is your main spammable, range and crux builder. Nextly you’ll be beaming with Exhausting Fatecarver and its 4.5-second channel. Your goal is to build up 3x Crux’s, debuff with Dread, and build up 3x more Crux’s and beam. The trick is to reapply all your DoTs and heals just before the beam does all the work for you.

At certain percentages, replace your spammable with your in-class or weapon execute if you have one in this build, or you can add it for longer boss fights. Executes are the skills that deal more damage the lower the opponent’s health. Ideally, these are meant to replace your main spammable skill at anywhere between 35% (Radiant Oppression) all the way to 20% (Mages’ Fury). At a high level, execute skills become so strong that the lower the enemy’s health, the fewer DoTs you maintain because it does so much damage.

If you run out of resources, do a heavy attack and return to your rotation. Remember that a heavy attack on off-balance enemies will return double the resources. Additionally, if you are a beginner or struggle with sustain, you can flex in the Consuming Trap skill instead of a DoT skill. The Consuming Trap gives you a flood of both resources when a target dies.

Use the healing skill Resolving Vigor, when your health drops below 50% or the shield skill when you anticipate damage. Also, always use the suggested food and potions as they significantly increase your damage, survivability, and resource sustain.

Skills

Front Bar: Dual Wield

Front Bar Weapon Options: They are all good choices depending on your play style and needs. Experiment with what works best.

• Dual Wield = most raw damage due to Twin Blade and Blunt passive and allows us to front bar two five-piece sets.
• Lighting Staff = great option for the Arcanist due to increased area damage, which is nearly all of our skills go here if you want range damage.
• Flame Staff = good single target damage and has range for easier survival but less damage.

Exhausting Fatecarver (Morph of Fatecarver | Skill line: Herald Of The Tome) - the build center's around this ability and its 4.5-second channel. Your goal is to build up 3x Crux’s and beam. The trick is to reapply all your DoTs and heals just before the beam does all the work for you. We take this morph so it’s easier to sustain. Swap morph for more damage if you can sustain/heal without issue.

Inner Light (Morph of Magelight | Skill line: Mages Guild) - Simply slotted for increased max magicka which does more damage for you.

Cephaliarchs Flail (Morph of Abyssal Impact | Skill line: Herald Of The Tome) - Use this do debuff enemies and increase your damage done by 5%. This ability also is a crux builder and acts as a spammable to generate Crux.

Inspired Scholarship (Morph of Tome-Bearer's Inspiration | Skill line: Herald Of The Tome) - this ability boosts your overall damage significantly and should always be maintained. This morph is ideal for group play because your team should provide resource sustain for you. The other morph is good choice if you struggle with resources.

Writhing Runeblades (Morph of Runeblades | Skill line: Herald Of The Tome) - This is a great ranged damage ability that acts as a Crux builder. Flail acts as a debuff skill while this will keep you generating Crux until you reach three, where you should Exhausting Fatecarver.

Flawless Dawnbreaker (Morph of Dawnbreaker | Skill line: Fighters Guild) - passively, this ability boost our damage and can be used during execute phase when you won’t reach your back bar ultimate number or during high mobility encounters.

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Back Bar: Fire Staff

Front Bar Weapon Options: They are all good choices depending on your playstyle and needs. Experiment with what works best.

• Inferno Staff = great all-around damage with Unstable Wall and fully charge heavy to sustain magicka
• Lighting Staff = good for beginners who lack magicka sustain because its easier to set off balance and fully charge heavy for resources
• Two-Handed = incredible damage with stampede ability, though hard to sustain stamina

Structured Entropy (Morph of Entropy | Skill line: Mages Guild) - Consider this your flex skill. If you do not have the recommended mythic, you will need a source of Minor Force via Barb Trap or Channeled Acceleration. You can also put another shield, heal or utility skill here. When in doubt, Structured Entropy will provide a very long lasting hard htiting DoT that heals you.

Mystic Orb (Morph of Necrotic Orb | Skill line: Undaunted) - Orb is incredible for group play due to the massive AoE damage and synergy that works great in group play.

Fulminating Rune (Morph of The Imperfect Ring | Skill line: Herald Of The Tome) - This acts an aoe DoT that does decent damage and is really the only decent dot within Arcanist class. Consider this your flex spot and Harness Magicka from light armor can go here.

Unstable Wall Of Elements (Morph of Wall of Elements | Skill line: Destruction Staff) - this provides strong AoE damage and acts as a good single target DoT that can be cast on the back bar.

Dampen Magic (Morph of Annulment | Skill line: Light Armor) - This is your survivability skill on your back bar. You can also use Echoing Vigor in groups to off heal group members but a big shield is almost always useful.

The Languid Eye (Morph of The Unblinking Eye | Skill line: Herald Of The Tome) - Incredible ultimate for huge damage with a small AoE circle. You want to make sure the enemy is stationary before using this to get the most damage. Also consider the mother Morph, Tide King if you keep missing the targets.

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Rotation

Combo

The general rotation is buff, apply DoTs, get three Crux then beam. Use Flail to build up Crux again quickly, rinse and repeat and reapply buffs after about two beam cycles.

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Gear

Best in Slot

Best in Slot Damage for group PvE

Slot	Type	Set	Trait	Glyph
Head	medium	Slimecraw	Divines	Magicka
Shoulders	light	Perfected Bahsei's Mania	Divines	Magicka
Chest	medium	Deadly Strikes	Divines	Magicka
Legs	light	Perfected Bahsei's Mania	Divines	Magicka
Gloves	light	Perfected Bahsei's Mania	Divines	Magicka
Boots	light	Perfected Bahsei's Mania	Divines	Magicka
Belt	light	Perfected Bahsei's Mania	Divines	Magicka
Weapon One	Dagger	Deadly Strikes	Nirn > Precise	Flame
Secondary	Dagger	Deadly Strikes	Charged	Poison
Weapon Two	Fire Staff	Perfected Wall of Elements	Infused	Spell Damage
Necklace		Veloth Ur-Mages Amulet	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage
Ring 1		Deadly Strikes	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage
Ring 2		Deadly Strikes	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage

Desktop hover over gear for set bonuses, mobile click once for set bonuses

Veloth Ur-Mages Amulet: mythic item requiring the Antiquies system and Necrom Chapter.  Requires five leads, find them here.

• Why? The Arcanist doesn’t have the opportunity to light attack due to long channeled ability so the increase in monster damage by 15% makes it a perfect one-piece mythic.

MYTHIC FLEX OPTIONS

• Harpooner’s Wading Kilt Set = great mythic if avoiding damage and can keep the stacks up.
• Mora’s Whisper = This provides up to 10% critical chance but requires collections of Mages Guild Books on your specific character.
• Death Dealer’s Fete = is a great option because it boosts max stats with zero downsides.

Slimecraw: obtained in Wayrest Sewers I Veteran dungeon and Maj Undaunted Vendor.

• Why? gives us the highest critical chance for a one-piece item.

Deadly Strikes: obtained in Cyrodiil, Bruma Elite Gear Vendor

• WHY? This increases the damage Fatecarver and all of our DoTs and is set and forget, easy to increase damage.

FLEX OPTIONS FRONT BAR

1. Pillar of Nirn = great proc damage set without having to light attack weave.
2. Order’s Wrath = Crafted and best overall option for great damage.
3. Mother’s Sorrow = decent overland set for starters.

Perfected Bahsei’s Mania:  obtained in Veteran Rockgrove trial requiring Blackwood chapter.

• Why? The best damage set on the body at all times. The issue with this set is it requires you to run lower resource sustain and “tank” your resources. You can swap foods to Bewitch Sugar skulls, more medium armor and zero sustain CP in your tree.  You want to hover around 20-25% for optimal damage. If this is annoying use flex set.

FLEX OPTION BODY SET

1. Perfect Whorl of the Depths: This provides a huge single target and AoE and the proc condition is simply light attacking and is perfect because it’s a trial set.
2. Perfected Mantle of Siroria = Update 35 made this popular again so consider using it in parse/stationary trials.
3. Perfected False Gods = great resource sustain set.
4. Order’s Wrath = Crafted and best overall option for great damage.
5. Mother’s Sorrow = decent overland set for starters

Perfected Crushing Wall: from Veteran Maelstrom Arena in Orsinium

• WHY? Increase your overall DPS massively due to the wall of elements ability and more damage.

FLEX OPTIONS

1. Perfected Spectral Cloak = massive damage increase and damage reduction if playing in melee range. Swap out Block for Quick Cloak and Elemental Susceptibility for Razor Caltrops.
2. Perfected Merciless Charge = must change out Unstable Blockade for Stampede, good damage but requires melee skills.
3. Perfected Thunderous Volley = good alternative to play at range with back bar. Swap out Unstable Blockade for Endless Hail bow skill.
4. Willpower = extra 2pc set

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Passives

Class Passives

Weapon Passives

Armor Passives

Guild Passives

Alliance Passives

World Passives

Make sure to focus on maxing out the following passives skills as they add performance to your character:

• Class skill lines
• Armor skill lines
• Undaunted
• Fighter’s Guild (optional)
• Mage’s Guild (optional)
• Undaunted (must have)
• Psijic (optional)
• Crafting Alchemy (Medicinal Use for potion duration)
• Race
• Alliance War
• World Vampire if using

Races

High Elf

The best option for damage reduction while channeling

• Highborn
• Spell Recharge
• Syrabane's Boon
• Elemental Talent

Khajiit

Great for burst damage and healing

• Cutpurse
• Robustness
• Lunar Blessings
• Feline Ambush

Breton

Use Breton if you need a resource sustain

• Opportunist
• Gift of Magnus
• Spell of Attunement
• Magicka Mastery

Attributes

Mundus Stone

Thief - Best Damage: Increases the Critical Strike rating by 1333. With 7 Divines armor pieces: Increases the Critical Strike rating by 2167. Why? Helps with our healing and damage.

Champion Points

Warfare

Fighting Finesse (Slottable) - 50
Increases your Critical Damage and Critical Healing done by 4% per stage.

Thaumaturge (Slottable) - 50
Increases your damage done with damage over time effects by 3% per stage.

Wrathful Strikes (Slottable) - 50
Grants 41 Weapon and Spell Damage to your damaging abilities per stage.

Biting Aura (Passive) - 50
Increases your damage done with area of effect attacks by 3%

Flex Spot(s): Flex Spot(s):  If you can afford, take these passives as they add power without a slottable: Precision (20), Piercing (20), Eldritch Insight (20), Flawless Ritual (40), War Mage (30), Quick Recovery (20), Preparation (20), Elemental Aegis (20), Hardy (20), Blessed (20), Tireless Discipline (20), Battle Mastery (40), & Mighty (30)

Fitness

Fortified (Slottable) - 50
Grants 34.6 Armor per stage.

Boundless Vitality (Slottable) - 50
Grants 28 Max Health per stage.

Siphoning Spells (Slottable) - 50
Restore 300 Magicka per stage, whenever you kill an enemy.

Rejuvenation (Slottable) - 50
Grants 1.8 Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery per stage.

Flex Spot(s): Flex Spot(s): If you can afford, take these passives as they add power without a slottable: Tumbling (30), Mystic Tenacity (10), Hero’s Vigor (20, Defiance (20), Hasty (16), Tireless Guardian (20), Fortification (30), Sprinter (20), Nimble Protector (6), Savage Defense (30), Bashing Brutality (20), & Piercing Gaze (30)

Crafting

Treasure Hunter (Slottable) - 50
Increase the quality of items you find in treasure chests.

Rationer (Passives) - 30
Adds 10 minutes to the duration of any food or drink that increases your character's stats per stage.

Liquid Efficiency (Slottable) - 75
Whenever you use a potion or poison you have a 10% chance to not consume it.

Steed's Blessing (Slottable) - 50
Increases your out of combat Movement Speed by .4% per stage.

Flex Spot(s): Flex Spot(s): If you can afford, take these passives as they add power without a slottable: Breakfall (50), Wanderer (75), Steadfast Enchantment (50), Fortune’s Favor (40), Gilded Fingers (50), & Inspiration Boost (45)

Consumables

Clockwork Citrus Filet

Type: Foods

OVERALL: Increase Max Health by 3724, Health Recovery by 351, Max Magicka by 3458 and Magicka Recovery by 319 for 2 hours. (effects are scaled based on your level)

Ghastly Eye Bowl

Type: Foods

DPS Parse: Increase Max Magicka by 4256 and Magicka Recovery by 425 for 2 hours. (effects are scaled based on your level)

Witchmother's Brew

Type: Foods

CHEAP: Increase Max Magicka by 2856, Max Health by 3094, and Magicka Recovery by 315 for 2 hours. (effects are scaled based on your level)

Essence of Spell Power

Type: Potions

Grants major sorcery with increases spell damage by 20% for 47.6 seconds. Grants major prophecy which grants you 2191 spell critical rating for 47.6 seconds. Restore 7582 magicka immediately. Grants you major intellect which increases your magicka recovery by 20% for 47.6. Potions have a 45sec cooldown. Make sure you have three points into medicinal use passive in alchemy crafting. (INGREDIENTS: Corn Flower, Lady’s Smock and Namira’s Rot)

Wrap Up

Additional Guides

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