ESO Magicka Warden PvE Build

Table of Contents

• Skills
• Rotation
• Gear
• Passives Skills
• Race
• Mundus Stone
• Champion Points
• Consumables
• Wrap Up

Last Updated: 2023-03-13

ESO Magicka Warden PvE Build build is for players looking to complete solo or small group content with a well-rounded class. Additionally, this build is great for beginner players as it has a lot of shields and heals built into its toolkit, as well as great sustain with Blue Betty.

Related: Top 5 Tips for Increasing Your DPS

Last updated March 13th, 2023, update 37 and the Scribes of Fate DLC: The ESO Magicka Warden PvE Build is still often used in dungeons and trials by many veteran players. In the current meta, the Warden class can provide high survivability on top of great damage. We adjusted relevant item sets, Pillar of Nirn and Perfect Whorl of the Depths, along with changing the most effective parse bar and gear. The build lists a few gear options – for beginner players without access to all sets and/or DLCs and two best in-slot trial options. The champion points suggested are also assuming you want the most damage, not survivability. Adjust where you see fit, and make sure to use sets and skills that work better for your group combination and harder end-game content.

 

Magica Warden Playstyle in PvE

Use the following rotation as the starter point. 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 Degeneration from Mages Guild or the Barb Trap from Fighters Guild. Maintain DoTs and use your spammable skill as filler until you need to reapply the DoTS.

At certain percentages, replace your spammable with your in-class or weapon execute if you have one in this build. Executes are the skills that deal more damage the lower the health of the opponent becomes. 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.

Use the healing skill 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.

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.

The Best PvE Magicka Warden Build

In ESO, the Magicka Warden is perfect for everyone who is looking for an off-healing, survival class with high damage. So if the druid with ice damage playstyle and following “pros” is what you are looking for, this build is for you!

Pros

• Great damage both AoE and single target
• Good resources sustain through passives
• Can off heal very well

Cons

• Rotation can be difficult with fissure
• Reliant on pet ultimate for optimal damage

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.

 

Video Guide

Skills

Front Bar (Frost Staff)

Front Bar Weapon choice options:

• Frost Staff is now the best due to passive giving up to 12% more damage when one is equipped.
• Dual Wield = better passives and more raw damage due to Twin Blade and Blunt passive.
• Flame Staff = more range and hard hitting single target
• Lighting Staff = decent option on back bar for fully charge heavy attacking

Deep Fissure (Morph of Scorch | Skill line: Animal Companions) - huge damage but tough to maintain all the time

Fetcher Infection (Morph of Swarm | Skill line: Animal Companions) - 10 second damage over time that grants minor vulnerability. This skills is great to place on one or more target due to the debuff and damage over time. In combination with fissure, you’ll lower resistance and increase damage for your group just by maintaining these two abilities.

Bird Of Prey (Morph of Falcon's Swiftness | Skill line: Animal Companions) - minor berserk slotted for damage

Screaming Cliff Racer (Morph of Dive | Skill line: Animal Companions) - This is our main spammable attack at range that hits harder the further you are away. The trick with managing this ability, is being in close enough for a deep fissure which has a 20 meter range, while being as far back as possible to increase the damage. Truthfully, you shouldn’t be spamming this because deep fissure will out perform it. Consider 2-3 cast maximum before swapping to something else.

Barbed Trap (Morph of Trap Beast | Skill line: Fighters Guild) - boost for slotting and minor force

Wild Guardian (Morph of Feral Guardian | Skill line: Animal Companions) - this ultimate is double bared so it does not come on and off. It’s absolutely incredible damage. I can hit 87,000 critical strikes sub 20% health on bosses due to it attacking like an execute. You’ll treat this ability like another attack because it’s ultimate cost of 75 is so low. Keep in mind to recast your bear if it dies or goes away. It will also stun enemies and attack as a decoy and I prefer this over any other ultimate of choice due to the reason above.

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Back Bar (Frost)

Back bar options:

• Frost Staff is now the best due to passive giving up to 12% more damage when one is equipped.
• Inferno Staff = great all-around damage and sustain set
• Lighting Staff = good for beginners who lack magicka sustain
• Two Handed = incredible damage though hard to sustain

Mystic Orb (Morph of Necrotic Orb | Skill line: Undaunted) - hard hitting AoE DoT

Elemental Susceptibility (Morph of Weakness to Elements | Skill line: Destruction Staff) - Update 36 re-worked this skill to now give 3 status effects over 30 seconds and a massive boost to damage. Consider slotting Mystic Orbs in this position if you want more AoE damage.

Harness Magicka (Morph of Annulment | Skill line: Light Armor) - A shield that absorbs damage for 6 seconds and helps you restore magicka when you take damage. This is your survivability tool and I highly recommend keeping on your bar when playing content. If you’re parsing or with a dedicated group of healers and tanks, swap to Inner Light for extra max magicka and even more damage.

Winters Revenge (Morph of Impaling Shards | Skill line: Winters Embrace) - 12 second damage over time which applies Chilled status effect. This is great damage over time, chilled status effect increase chance and great snare. I’ll cast this before Unstable because it’s 12 second duration.

Unstable Wall Of Elements (Morph of Wall of Elements | Skill line: Destruction Staff) - Massive AoE and explosion makes it a great DoT. With Maelstrom back bar staff, this is essential back bar buff to increase our overall dps. You can recast repeatedly for an explosion and AoE damage. Combine this with Winters Revenge, Mythic Orb and Fissure, you’ll have massive AoE damage.

Wild Guardian (Morph of Feral Guardian | Skill line: Animal Companions) - double bar this skill so it doesn’t turn off.

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Rotation

Rotation

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Gear

Best in Slot

This is best for advanced players in group content like trials and four players dungeons & arenas.

Slot	Type	Set	Trait	Glyph
Head	medium	Zaan	Divines	Magicka
Shoulders	light	Zaan	Divines	Magicka
Chest	light	Perfect Whorl of the Depths	Divines	Magicka
Legs	medium	Harpooner's Wading Kilt	Divines	Magicka
Gloves	light	Perfect Whorl of the Depths	Divines	Magicka
Boots	light	Perfect Whorl of the Depths	Divines	Magicka
Belt	light	Perfect Whorl of the Depths	Divines	Magicka
Weapon One	Frost Staff	Pillar of Nirn	Charged	Frost
Weapon Two	Frost Staff	Perfect Whorl of the Depths	Infused	Spell Damage
Necklace		Pillar of Nirn	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage
Ring 1		Pillar of Nirn	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage
Ring 2		Pillar of Nirn	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage

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

Zaan: Veteran dungeon Scalecaller Peak, Dragon Bone DLC.

• Why? The highest DPS monster helm currently which can out perform Harpooner’s Wading Kilt Set.

FLEX OPTIONS

1. Kjalnar’s Nightmare – great single target damage ONLY one player can have this in your group.
2. 1pc Slimecraw and 1pc Harpooner’s Wading Kilt Set this setup still strong, make sure you don’t hit crit damage cap.
3. Kra’gh – one pc is great for pen, two piece does good single target damage

Harpooner’s Wading Kilt Set: obtained through mythic leads. You need five items/leads to complete the mythic gear piece.

• Why? overall the most DPS possible for a one-piece mythic.
• You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Harpooner’s Wading Kilt. Location of the 5 pieces:
  • Murkmire – Wolf-Tail Sash Lead – Murkmire Foul Fishing Spots
  • Blackwood – Kothringi-Cut Leather Lead – World Boss Death Wart, World Boss Sul-Xan Ritualists
  • Shadowfen – Bog-Blue Jasper Fetish Lead – Ruins of Mazzatun Dungeon last boss
  • Shadowfen – Tide-Glass Beads Lead –  All water and alchemy nodes
  • Bal Foyen – Silverweave Cord Lead – Covenant Enemies, most likely all enemies

FLEX OPTIONS MYTHICS

1. Mora’s Whisper = Update 34, 10% critical chance for great damage boost
2. Death Dealer’s Fete = great option when taking damage

Pillar of Nirn: Obtained in Falkreath Hold dungeon, Horns of the Reach DLC.

• WHY? great proc damage set without having to light attack weave

FLEX OPTIONS BODY

1. Perfected Bahsei’s Mania = If you can manage around 20-50% magicka, you’ll get flat damage increase.
2. Perfected Mantle of Siroria = Update 35 made this popular again so consider using 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

Perfect Whorl of the Depths: obtained in Veteran Dreadsail Reef trial DLC High Isle.

• Why? one of the hardest-hitting proc sets in the game.

FLEX OPTION FRONT BAR

1. Kinras’s Wrath = good only if you can light attack weave constantly, though I have low uptime with this set.
2. Z’en’s Redress = group utility and damage for trials
3. Burning Spellweave = simple dungeon setup great front bar option

Perfected Crushing Wall: from Veteran Maelstrom Arena in Orsinium

• WHY? Increase your overall DPS massively due to wall of elements and light attack damage increase.

FLEX OPTIONS

1. Perfected Merciless Charge = must change out blockade for Stampede, considered meta, but struggle with sustain
2. Willpower = extra 2pc set

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Parse

Most single target Damage on target dummy possible

Slot	Type	Set	Trait	Glyph
Head	light	Zaan	Divines	Magicka
Shoulders	medium	Zaan	Divines	Magicka
Chest	light	Perfected Mantle of Siroria	Divines	Magicka
Legs	medium	Perfected Mantle of Siroria	Divines	Magicka
Gloves	light	Perfected Mantle of Siroria	Divines	Magicka
Boots	light	Perfected Mantle of Siroria	Divines	Magicka
Belt	light	Perfected Mantle of Siroria	Divines	Magicka
Weapon One	Frost Staff	Perfected Arms of Relequen	Charged	Frost
Weapon Two	Frost Staff	Perfected Merciless Charge	Infused	Weapon & Spell Damage
Necklace		Perfected Arms of Relequen	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage
Ring 1		Perfected Arms of Relequen	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage
Ring 2		Perfected Arms of Relequen	Bloodthirsty	Spell Damage

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

Zaan: Veteran dungeon Scalecaller Peak, Dragon Bone DLC.

• Why? The highest DPS monster helm currently which can out perform Harpooner’s Wading Kilt Set.

Harpooner’s Wading Kilt Set: obtained through mythic leads. You need five items/leads to complete the mythic gear piece.

• Why? overall the most DPS possible for a one-piece mythic.
• You need 5 items to be able to create the Mythic item Harpooner’s Wading Kilt. Location of the 5 pieces:
  • Murkmire – Wolf-Tail Sash Lead – Murkmire Foul Fishing Spots
  • Blackwood – Kothringi-Cut Leather Lead – World Boss Death Wart, World Boss Sul-Xan Ritualists
  • Shadowfen – Bog-Blue Jasper Fetish Lead – Ruins of Mazzatun Dungeon last boss
  • Shadowfen – Tide-Glass Beads Lead –  All water and alchemy nodes
  • Bal Foyen – Silverweave Cord Lead – Covenant Enemies, most likely all enemies

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Beginner

This setup is great for beginners who started the game.

Slot	Type	Set	Trait	Glyph
Head	light	Withered Hand	Divines	Magicka
Shoulders	light	Withered Hand	Divines	Magicka
Chest	light	Mother's Sorrow	Divines	Magicka
Legs	light	Mother's Sorrow	Divines	Magicka
Gloves	light	Mother's Sorrow	Divines	Magicka
Boots	light	Mother's Sorrow	Divines	Magicka
Belt	light	Mother's Sorrow	Divines	Magicka
Weapon One	Frost Staff	Willpower	Precise or Sharpened	Flame
Weapon Two	Frost Staff	Willpower	Infused	Weapon Damage
Necklace		Withered Hand	Arcane	Magicka Recovery
Ring 1		Withered Hand	Arcane	Spell Power
Ring 2		Withered Hand	Arcane	Spell Power

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

• Withered Hand: obtained in Alik’r Desert overland  or from guild traders (delves, dolmans, world bosses, chest). WHY? If you’re new player, low champion points and lack trials gear, this gives great sustain and healing when killing mobs and is ideal for a newer player.
• Mother’s Sorrow: obtained in overland zone Deshaan or from guild traders (delves, dolmans, world bosses, chest). WHY? easy to obtain and works well at every stage of the game including end game trials!
• Willpower: obtained in Imperial City keys or dungeon finder rewards or on guild traders. Great two piece bonus.

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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

Khajiit

Top tier damage due to passive critical damage bonus.

• Cutpurse
• Robustness
• Lunar Blessings
• Feline Ambush

Dark Elf

all around great if you want to switch between magicka/stamina build though lacks resources sustain.

• Ashlander
• Dynamic
• Resist Flame
• Ruination

Attributes

Mundus Stone

Thief - Increases the Critical Strike rating by 1333. With 7 Divines armor pieces: Increases the Critical Strike rating by 2167

Champion Points

Warfare

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

Deadly Aim (Slottable) - 50
Increase your damage done with single target attacks by 3% per stage.

Master-at-Arms (Slottable) - 50
Increases your damage done with direct damage attacks by 3% per stage.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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), Shield Master (10), Defiance (20), Hasty (16), Tireless Guardian (20), Fortification (30), Sprinter (20), Nimble Protector (6), Savage Defense (30), Bashing Brutality (20), & Piercing Gaze (30)

Crafting

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

Rationer (Passives) - 50
Adds 10 minutes to the duration of any food or drink that increases your character's stats per stage.

Liquid Efficiency (Slottable) - 50
Whenever you use a potion or poison you have a 10% chance to not consume it.

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

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)

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)

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)

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

Thank you for reading ESO Magicka Warden PvE Build!

Check our ESO builds and guides. Also, consider watching me on Twitch, where you can ask me questions about my current builds or check out the YouTube Channel.

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  • Skill Points Guide
  • Champion Point System Guide
• PvP Beginner Guide
  • How to farm Alliance Points (AP)
  • How to farm Tel Var Stones
• Addons, UI, and Keybinds Guide for ESO
• Tales of Tribute Guide