ESO Solo Dragonknight Magicka Build for PvE

This guide explains how to use the best Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) Solo Dragonknight Magicka PvE Build, skills, gear, champion points, and more!

This build has been updated for the Updated 42, the Gold Road Chapter of the Elder Scrolls Online (ESO).

Solo Dragonknight Magicka Build for PvE Gameplay

The Magicka DK feels incredible in solo play right now. It has insanely high AOE damage, an AOE interrupt for Infinite Archive, and tons of burning damage. The Mag DK has always felt like its damage was capped by resources in AOE situations, but it can sustain Burning Talons and Deep Breath better than it has ever been able to this patch. It feels solid in solo content.

Dragonknight Class Pros

• High AOE Damage: The DK hits like an absolute truck, putting that damage out in all directions.
• Unkillable: The DK always feels unkillable, but with Magma, you can become unkillable in the Infinite Archive.
• Great Class Buffs: The DK naturally sources all their critical buffs through their kit.

Dragonknight Class Cons

• Healing: The DK does heal a lot, but there are gaps in the burst healing from Deep Breath, which makes Ring of the Pale Order feel more necessary in this class.
• Higher Difficulty: DK feels very simple and powerful but has a high ceiling if you push Infinite Archive with Magma.
• Sustain: Despite the sustain buffs, it’s still difficult to sustain Talons and Deep Breath spamming.

Gameplay Tips

The Magicka Dragonknight is quite a bit more difficult than the Stamina DK with the utilization of Talons. Stam Dks really have trouble sustaining Burning Talons, but MagDKs can rip through huge packs of enemies by spamming Talons. You want to cast Talons every fourth skill cast, making it difficult to continually remember to apply the Damage over Time (DoT) ability on your enemies.

The key to playing a DK well is to look at how many enemies you have and change your skill casts accordingly. You always want to apply your DoTs, then you want to be cognizant of how many enemies are around you as well as how much magicka you have. If there’s one enemy, Molten Whip will put out the highest single target damage. More than one enemy but less than four? Flames of Oblivion spam while keeping Talons up. For more than three enemies, spamming Talons will put out the highest overall aoe dps, but you’ll burn your magicka very quickly. Because of this, you’ll actually want to switch to Flames of Oblivion again when you drop below 50% magicka, continuing to keep Talons up as well.

What makes this even more difficult is taking this build into solo content where you need to heal yourself too. That’s when you want to start working Deep Breath into your rotation as well, alternating Talons and Deep Breath, putting out even more aoe damage. To simplify things a little, we added Ring of the Pale Order into this build, but you can replace it with Velothi Ur-Mage’s Amulet when you get more comfortable healing yourself.

Survival

Whenever you need to heal, you can work Deep Breath into your rotation for a little extra healing. Magicka DKs have a lot of room for spamming Deep Breath, and it deals a ton of area damage, so you shouldn’t shy away from using. If you do find yourself running out of magicka though, you can swap to the Draw Essence morph

If you run out of resources, a heavy attack on your front bar will restore stamina, and a heavy attack on your inferno staff back bar will restore magicka.

ESO Solo Dragonknight Magicka PvE Build Features and Mechanics

Below are some of the features found using the PvE Solo Dragonknight Magicka in the Elder Scrolls Online:

• Class – Dragonknight
• Weapon One – Dual Wield
• Weapon Two – Flame Staff
• Armor Types – 6 Light, 1 Medium
• Mythic – Pale Order
• Race – Dark Elf
• Attributes – 64 Magicka
• Mundus Stone – Thief
• Best Grimoires – Ulfsild’s Contingency

Skills

Front Bar – Dual Wield

Front Bar Weapon Style Choices:

1. Dual Wield
2. Flame Staff
3. Lighting Staff

Molten Whip (Morph of Lava Whip | Skill Line : Ardent Flame) – main spammable single target attack that can be buffed by other Ardent Flame dots for a BIG WHIP!

Burning Talons (Morph of Dark Talons | Skill Line : Draconic Power) – Crowd control and flame damage, this morph adds a DoT effect.

Flames of Oblivion (Morph of Inferno | Skill Line : Ardent Flame) – The healing morph is very strong and should be used solo. Other morph does more damage though and can help on magicka sustain.

Deep Breath (Morph of Inhale | Skill Line : Draconic Power) – An AoE damage ability that also gives back healing and can interrupt. Interchangeable with Draw Essence if you want more healing.

Venomous Claw (Morph of Searing Strike | Skill Line : Ardent Flame) – Causes poison damage in initial burst and as a DoT. Also applies the Poisoned status effect.

Standard of Might (Morph of Dragonknight Standard | Skill Line : Ardent Flame) – Powerful damage over time ultimate that also applies major defile to enemies, decreasing their health recovery and healing received. Great to use this if you’re running low on resources.

Back Bar – Flame Staff

Back bar options:

1. Lighting Staff
2. Flame Staff
3. Two Handed

Blockade of Fire (Morph of Wall of Elements | Skill Line : Destruction Staff) – Provides strong AoE damage and acts as a good single target DoT that can be cast on the back bar.

Noxious Breath (Morph of Fiery Breath | Skill Line : Ardent Flame) – Breathe a poisonous flame onto enemies dealing poison damage and inflicting them with major fracture. Could also swap out for Engulfing Flames.

Hardened Armor (Morph of Spiked Armor | Skill Line : Draconic Power) – Gain an immediate damage shield after casting. Also gain Major Resolve for 20 seconds.

Eruption (Morph of Ash Cloud | Skill Line : Earthen Heart) – You can get minor force buff one of many ways, gear, or two commonly used abilities Barb Trap and Channeled Acceleration. Since we play in melee range, using barb trap makes the most since. Moreover slotting on our front bar increase of spell damage by 3% via slayer fighters guild passive. Another advantage is banished the wicked passive gives us ultimate when killing enemies too.

Igneous Weapons (Morph of Molten Weapons | Skill Line : Earthen Heart) – Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by 20% for one minute.

Corrosive Armor (Morph of Magma Armor | Skill Line : Earthen Heart) – Deal poison damage and limit incoming damage to just 3% of your max health. Additionally, this ability and your direct damage attacks ignores enemy Physical and Spell Resistance

Scribing Skills & Grimoires

Ulfsild’s Contingency is the only Grimoire (skills) for a Solo Magicka Dragonknight PvE build. Contingency grants powerful area-based damage and buffs. The problem is the DK has too many great skills that none of the scribing skills really compete with the class buffs. If you really want to run one, however, Contingency is a great aoe DoT.

Below are the suggested combination of Grimoires, focus, signature, and affix scripts:

• Ulfsild’s Contingency (Mage Guild) – Flame Damage (focus script), Lingering Torment (signature script), Vulnerability (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

Below are the passive skills lines that add power without requiring a skill slot while playing the ESO Solo Dragonknight Magicka Build for PvE. Consider taking all the skill passives in the skill tree listed below:

• Earthen Heart (class skill line)
• Draconic Power (class skill line)
• Ardent Flame (class skill line)
• Destruction Staff (weapon skill line)
• Light Armor
• Medium Armor
• Undaunted
• Fighter’s Guild
• Racial
• Alliance War Support
• Alliance War Assault
• Crafting, Alchemy Medicinal Use

Gear – Best in Slot

The gear chart below represents the best gear for ESO Solo Dragonknight Magicka Build for PvE:

Slot	Type	Set	Trait	Glyph
Head	Light	Perfected Whorl of the Depths	Divines	Magicka
Shoulders	Medium	Slimecraw	Divines	Magicka
Chest	Light	Runecarver’s Blaze	Divines	Magicka
Legs	Light	Runecarver’s Blaze	Divines	Magicka
Gloves	Light	Runecarver’s Blaze	Divines	Magicka
Boots	Light	Runecarver’s Blaze	Divines	Magicka
Belt	Light	Runecarver’s Blaze	Divines	Magicka
Weapon One	Dagger	Perfected Whorl of the Depths	Nirnhoned	Poison
	Dagger	Perfected Whorl of the Depths	Charged	Absorb Stamina
Weapon Two	Flame Staff	Perfected Crushing Wall	Infused	Berserk
Necklace		WhorPerfected Whorl of the Depths	Bloodthirsty	Weapon Damage
Ring 1	Mythic	Pale Order	Bloodthirsty	Weapon Damage
Ring 2		Perfected Whorl of the Depths	Bloodthirsty	Weapon Damage

In PvE, high-end DPS builds, magicka, and stamina builds run similar gear setups, including medium armor. Medium is more robust due to not reaching the penetration cap of light armor. However, Light armor can provide a shield with greater sustain. Below are various options.

Monster Helms and Mythic

Slimecraw: obtained in Wayrest Servers I. Just worn as a 1 piece crit chance item.

Ring of the Pale Order: Mythic obtained by collecting five pieces. This gives great healing for doing damage and allows you to focus on pure damage.

FLEX OPTIONS (if you switch to monster setup, drop the mythic)

• Stormfist = always works, easy to obtain and  AoE DPS set.
• Balorgh = is incredible for boss burns in Veteran Maelstrom Arena saving up ultimate for 500 burns.
• Kra’gh = one piece is great for a pen, two-piece does good single-target damage
• Iceheart = is great for survivability.
• Velothi Ur-Mage’s Amulet = mythic that is incredible damage if you have good survivability and don’t require Pale Order.
• Mora’s Whisper = set and forget high critical mythic but requires a collection of Mages Guild books.
• Death Dealer’s Fete = high max stats and requires no effect but in combat.

Gear Sets

Perfected Whorl of the Depths: Found in Dreadsail Reef trial, part of High Isle chapter. Light attack and create AoE summon once every 18 seconds.

Runecarver’s Blaze: Dungeon set that drops in Scrivener’s Hall. Procs massive flame damage that applies the burning status effect constantly.

Perfected Crushing Wall: From Veteran Maelstrom Arena in Orsinium. Increase your overall DPS due to the ability of the wall of elements and more damage.

FLEX OPTIONS

• Pillar of Nirn = Great overall proc set damage.
• Arms of Relequen = God-tier single target damage. Amazing for bosses.
• Ansuul’s Torment – Great Medium armor set-and-forget trial set.
• Order’s Wrath = Crafted and best overall option for great damage

Gear – Beginner

This setup is for someone who just started and doesn’t have access to Monsters, Mythics, Trials Gear

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	Dagger	Willpower	Precise	Poison
Secondary	Dagger	Willpower	Charged	Flame
Weapon Two	Inferno Staff	Willpower	Infused	Berserker
Necklace		Withered Hand	Arcane	Magicka Recovery
Ring 1		Withered Hand	Arcane	Magicka Recovery
Ring 2		Withered Hand	Arcane	Spell Damage

• Withered Hand – found in Alikr Desert overland or in build traders. Gives resources back on kills.
• Willpower – is obtained in dungeon daily rewards or cheaply from build traders. Gives you a big magicka stat boost.
• Mother’s Sorrow – found in overland Deshaan or bought from guild traders. Useful for high critical and base game easy to obtain.

Race

The best racial choice for the Solo Magicka Dragonknight is below:

1. Dark Elf: Gain max magicka, stamina, and weapon and spell damage. The flame resistance is also helpful and considered the strongest overall PVE DPS race.
2. High Elf: Gain resource sustain passive, max magicka, and weapon and spell damage. The downside of High Elf is a lack of stamina or flame resistance.
3. Khajiit: This race gets recovery, max stats, and critical damage and healing. Consider the Khajiit a great option if you aren’t over the critical cap of 125%.

Attributes

The best choice is 64 magicka, which increases damage, healing, and DoTs.

Mundus Stone

The Thief is the best Mundus Stone for PvE Builds because it gives Increases Weapon and Spell Critical Strike a chance.

Champion Points – ESO Solo Dragonknight Magicka Build for PvE

Craft	Warfare	Fitness
Treasure Hunter	Fighting Finesse	Siphoning Spells
Liquid Efficiency	Deadly Aim	Boundless Vitality
Rationer	Master-at-Arms	Rejuvenation
Steed’s Blessing	Wrathful Strikes	Fortified

Warfare Constellation Champion Points

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 Solo Dragonknight Magicka Build for PvE:

1. Precision 10
2. Wrathful Strikes (slottable) 50
3. Fighting Finesse (slottable) 50
4. Extended Might – sub constellation – piercing 10
5. Deadly Aim (slottable) 50
6. Master – at- Arms (slottable) 50

This would be the bare minimum setup, spending 220 CP (660 total required). The next step is to max out passives, that do not require a slottable but increase performance.

1. Precision 10
2. Piercing 10
3. Tireless discipline 20
4. Eldritch insight 20
5. Blessed 20
6. Quick recovery 20
7. Flawless ritual 40
8. War mage 30
9. Battle mastery 40
10. Mighty 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 520 spent 1,560 total spent.

Fitness Constellation Champion Points

Below are recommended Fitness Champion Point selections for the ESO Solo Dragonknight Magicka Build for PvE:

1. Fortified (slottable) 50
2. Boundless vitality (slottable) 50
3. Rejuvenation (slottable) 50
4. Sprinter 10
5. Winder chaser – sub con – hasty 8
6. Hero’s Vigor 10
7. Siphoning Spells (slottable) 50

This would be the bare minimum setup, spending 228 CP (684 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 20
7. Fortification 30
8. Nimble 6
9. Mystic tenacity 50
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 and 1,626 total spent.

Craft Constellation Champion Points

Below are recommended Craft Champion Point selections for the ESO Solo Dragonknight Magicka Build for PvE:

1. Steed’s blessing (slottable) – 50
2. Breakfall 10 
3. Wanderer 15
4. Steadfast 10
5. Treasure hunter 50 (slottable)
6. rationer (slottable) 30
7. liquid efficiency (slottable) 75

This would be the bare minimum setup, spending 240CP (720 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 50
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 723 cp spent, 2,169 total spent.

Consumables

The best consumables for the solo Magicka Dragonknight PvE build are Mistral Banana-Bunny Hash food and Heroism potions. Mistral Banana-Bunny Hash gives the most damage possible, though Clockwork Citrus Filet is good for resource sustain if you struggle. A third balanced option for more hybrid resource pools is Bewitched Sugar Skulls. The best potions if you have weapon critical and weapon power buff is Heroism (the essence of magicka). Another option is Spell Power potions if you lack the buffs or tri-stat Essence of Health. Below are our recommended food and potion choices:

Mistral Banana-Bunny Hash (best damage no sustain) – Increases max health and max magicka. Crafted with Provisioning ingredients of Small Game, Bananas, and Seasoning.

• Clockwork Citrus Filet – Increases max health, health recovery, max magicka, and magicka recovery. Crafted with Provisioning ingredients of Red Meat, Lemon, Frost Mirriam, and Perfect Roe.
• Witchmother’s Potent Brew – Increases max magicka, max health, and magicka recovery. Crafted with Provisioning ingredients of Nightshade, Bervez Juice, Rice, and Small Game.
• Bewitched Sugar Skulls (tri-max stats) – increases max health, stamina, magicka, and health recovery. Crafted with provisioning from ingredients of Scrib Jelly, Flour, Columbine, Bervez Juice, and Honey.

Heroism Potion – Restores stamina and magicka and grants minor heroism for a time. Crafted with Alchemy from ingredients of Columbine, Dragon’s Blood, Dragon Rheum.

• Essence of Spell Power – grants major critical, major spell power buff, and magicka recovery. Crafted with alchemy from ingredients such as Corn Flower, Lady’s Smock, and Luminous Russula (other combinations).
• Tri-Pots – grants immediate health, stamina and magicka, along with tri-recovery. Crafted with Alchemy from ingredients of Bugloss, Columbine, Mountain Flower.

Build Summary – ESO Solo DragonKnight Magicka PvE Build

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