This guide gives skills, champion points, and gear for an ESO Magicka Warden PvE Build, intended for the new or returning player!
This build has been updated for the Update 40 patch of the Elder Scrolls Online.
Why Should You Play the ESO Magicka Warden PvE Build?
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.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great damage both AoE and single target | Rotation can be difficult with fissure |
| Good resources sustain through passives | Reliant on pet ultimate for optimal damage |
| Can off heal very well |
ESO Magicka Warden PvE Build Playstyle
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.
Skills
Front Bar – Frost Staff
Front Bar Weapon choice options:
- Frost Staff
- Dual Wield
- Flame Staff
- Lighting Staff
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.
Back Bar – Frost Staff
Back bar options:
- Frost Staff
- Inferno Staff
- Lighting Staff
- Two Handed
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.
Winter’s Revenge (Morph of Impaling Shards | Skill Line : Winter’s 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.
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
- Kjalnar’s Nightmare – great single target damage ONLY one player can have this in your group.
- 1pc Slimecraw and 1pc Harpooner’s Wading Kilt Set this setup still strong, make sure you don’t hit crit damage cap.
- 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
- Mora’s Whisper = Update 34, 10% critical chance for great damage boost
- 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
- Perfected Bahsei’s Mania = If you can manage around 20-50% magicka, you’ll get flat damage increase.
- Perfected Mantle of Siroria = Update 35 made this popular again so consider using in parse/stationary trials.
- Perfected False Gods = great resource sustain set.
- Order’s Wrath = Crafted and best overall option for great damage.
- 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
- Kinras’s Wrath = good only if you can light attack weave constantly, though I have low uptime with this set.
- Z’en’s Redress = group utility and damage for trials
- 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
- Perfected Merciless Charge = must change out blockade for Stampede, considered meta, but struggle with sustain
- Willpower = extra 2pc set
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
Perfected Mantle of Siroria: Obtained in Veteran Cloudrest Trial Summerset chapter. The non-perfected version in normal difficulty
- WHY? best damage possible in parse Update 35 made this popular again so consider using in parse/stationary trials
Perfected Arms of Relequen: Obtained in Veteran Cloudrest Trial Summerset chapter. The non-perfected version in normal difficulty
- Why? most single target damage-producing set for stamina and magica thanks to hybridization changes
Perfected Merciless Charge: from Veteran Maelstrom Arena in Orsinium DLC
- WHY? Increase your overall DPS massively, must change out blockade for Stampede, considered meta, but struggle with sustain
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.
Race
Best Choice
Khajiit
Top tier damage due to passive critical damage bonus.
Secondary Choice
Dark Elf
All around great if you want to switch between magicka/stamina build though lacks resources sustain.
Attributes
Health | Stamina | Magicka |
| 0 | 0 | 64 |
Mundus Stone
Thief – Increases the Critical Strike rating by 1212
Champion Points
Consumables
Food
Clockwork Citrus Filet
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
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
DPS Parse: Increase Max Magicka by 4256 and Magicka Recovery by 425 for 2 hours. (effects are scaled based on your level)
Potions
Essence of Spell Power
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)
Passives
- Class Passives
- Racial Passives
- Weapon Passives
- Destruction Staff
- 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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