ESO Stamina Dragonknight PvE Build

The ESO Stamina Dragonknight PvE Build relies heavily on damage over time effects and buffs.

This build has been updated for the Update 40 patch of the Elder Scrolls Online.

Why Should You Play the ESO Stamina Dragonknight PvE Build?

Welcome to our ESO Stamina Dragonknight PvE Build called the Butcher! The build relies heavily on damage over time effects and buffs. Consider this a hard-to-play, stamina-based, melee damage dealer because there are so many buffs and a complex rotation. However, I’ve listed flexible options to make it simpler and more survivable. High damage, you bet ESO Stamina Dragonknight PvE Build rocks!

Pros	Cons
Great damage over time	Difficult rotation
Good survivability	Lacks great sustain
High mobility

The ESO Stamina Dragonknight 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

Gear

Z’en’s DK

This is what everyone wants in their trial group because of the group buffs.

Slot	Type	Set	Trait	Glyph
Head	medium	Zaan	Divines	Stamina
Shoulders	light	Zaan	Divines	Stamina
Chest	medium	Roar of Alkosh	Divines	Stamina
Legs	medium	Roar of Alkosh	Divines	Stamina
Gloves	medium	Roar of Alkosh	Divines	Stamina
Boots	medium	Roar of Alkosh	Divines	Stamina
Belt	medium	Roar of Alkosh	Divines	Stamina
Weapon One	Dagger	Z’en’s	Nirnhoned>Precise	Fire
Secondary	Dagger	Z’en’s	Charged	Poison
Weapon Two	2H Sword	Perfected Merciless Charge	Infused	Weapon Damage
Necklace		Z’en’s	Bloodthirsty	Weapon Damage
Ring 1		Z’en’s	Bloodthirsty	Weapon Damage
Ring 2		Z’en’s	Bloodthirsty	Weapon 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
4. Stormfist – always works, easy to obtain and  AoE DPS set.

Z’en’s Redress: obtained in Lair of Maarselok, DLC Scalebreaker.

• Why? incredible damage buff for the entire group.

FLEX OPTIONS

1. Pillar of Nirn = high damage producing proc set if you want to play selfish.
2. Perfect Whorl of the Depths = another S tier proc damage set.
3. Kinra’s Wrath = great damage boost if you can light attack weave consistently

Roar of Alkosh: obtained in Maw of Lorkhaj dungeon.

• Why? great armor reduction for entire group, especially for medium armor users.

FLEX OPTIONS

1. Perfected Arms of Relequen = the bust pure damage set in the game.
2. Perfected Coral Riptide = god tier damage if you run low stamina (dodge roll a bit before pull)
3. Order’s Wrath = great craftable option though watch for too much critical damage (125% cap)
4. Leviathan = easy base game dungeon set with high critical

Perfected Merciless Charge: obtained in Veteran Maelstrom Arena though you can do normal for a lesser version.

• Why? still one of the hardest hitting back bar arena weapons.

FLEX OPTIONS

1. Perfected Thunderous Volley Set = great if you prefer range than melee back bar.
2. Perfected Spectral Cloak = must change out blockade for Deadly Cloak, also niche but high damage

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Best in Slot

This is the highest damage possible.

Slot	Type	Set	Trait	Glyph
Head	medium	Zaan	Divines	Stamina
Shoulders	light	Zaan	Divines	Stamina
Chest	medium	Pillar of Nirn	Divines	Stamina
Legs	medium	Harpooner’s Wading Kilt	Divines	Stamina
Gloves	medium	Pillar of Nirn	Divines	Stamina
Boots	medium	Pillar of Nirn	Divines	Stamina
Belt	light	Perfect Whorl of the Depths	Divines	Stamina
Weapon One	Dagger	Perfect Whorl of the Depths	Nirnhoned>Precise	Fire
Secondary	Dagger	Pillar of Nirn	Charged	Poison
Weapon Two	Greatsword	Pillar of Nirn	Infused	Weapon Damage
Necklace		Perfect Whorl of the Depths	Bloodthirsty	Weapon Damage
Ring 1		Perfect Whorl of the Depths	Bloodthirsty	Weapon Damage
Ring 2		Perfect Whorl of the Depths	Bloodthirsty	Weapon 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
4. Stormfist – always works, easy to obtain and  AoE DPS set.

Pillar of Nirn: obtained in Falkreath Hold, DLC Scalebreaker.

• Why? incredible damage proc set.

FLEX OPTIONS

1. Kinra’s Wrath = great damage boost if you can light attack weave consistently.

Perfect Whorl of the Depths: obtained in Dreadsail Reef trial, Haig Isle Chapter.

• Why? another S tier proc damage set.

FLEX OPTIONS

1. Perfected Arms of Relequen = the bust pure damage set in the game.
2. Perfected Coral Riptide = god tier damage if you run low stamina (dodge roll a bit before pull)
3. Order’s Wrath = great craftable option though watch for too much critical damage (125% cap)
4. Leviathan = easy base game dungeon set with high critical

Harpooner’s Wading Kilt Set: obtained through the Antiquity system, Blackwood Chapter. 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

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Parse

Most single target Damage on target dummy possible

Slot	Type	Set	Trait	Glyph
Head	medium	Zaan	Divines	Stamina
Shoulders	light	Zaan	Divines	Stamina
Chest	medium	Perfected Arms of Relequen	Divines	Stamina
Legs	medium	Perfected Arms of Relequen	Divines	Stamina
Gloves	medium	Perfected Arms of Relequen	Divines	Stamina
Boots	medium	Perfected Arms of Relequen	Divines	Stamina
Belt	medium	Perfected Arms of Relequen	Divines	Stamina
Weapon One	Dagger	Pillar of Nirn	Nirnhoned	Poison
Secondary	Dagger	Pillar of Nirn	Charged	Fire
Weapon Two	2H Greatsword	Perfected Merciless Charge	Infused	Weapon & Spell Damage
Necklace		Pillar of Nirn	Bloodthirsty	Weapon Damage
Ring 1		Pillar of Nirn	Bloodthirsty	Weapon Damage
Ring 2		Pillar of Nirn	Bloodthirsty	Weapon 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.
• 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 magicka thanks to hybridization changes.
• Pillar of Nirn: obtained in Falkreath Hold dungeon. WHY? one of the hardest hitting, easiest proc sets in the game.
• 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

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Beginner

Starter setup for someone just starting ESO.

Slot	Type	Set	Trait	Glyph
Head	medium	Briarheart	Divines	Stamina
Shoulders	medium	Briarheart	Divines	Stamina
Chest	medium	Hunding’s Rage	Divines	Stamina
Legs	medium	Hunding’s Rage	Divines	Stamina
Gloves	medium	Hunding’s Rage	Divines	Stamina
Boots	medium	Hunding’s Rage	Divines	Stamina
Belt	medium	Hunding’s Rage	Divines	Stamina
Weapon One	Dagger	Agility	Precise or Sharpened	Damage Health Poison
Secondary	Dagger	Agility	Precise or Sharpened	Damage Health Poison
Weapon Two	2H Sword	Agility	Infused	Weapon Damage
Necklace		Briarheart	Robust	Stamina Recovery
Ring 1		Briarheart	Robust	Weapon Damage
Ring 2		Briarheart	Robust	Weapon Damage

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

• Briarheart: obtained in overland Wrothgar (Orsinium DLC) or from traders. WHY? great burst damage and nice healing and easy to obtain set.
• Hunding’s Rage: craftable 6 traits, crafting stations found in Bangkorai, Reaper’s March, The Rift. WHY? Craftable set that has well-balanced stats.
• Agility: found in Imperial City with keys or Dungeon Finder via random dungeons and or traders sell. WHY? easy to obtain with massive stats as a two-piece set.

Race

Attributes

Mundus Stone

Champion Points

Passives

• Class Passives
• Racial Passives
• Weapon Passives
  • Dual Wield
  • Two Handed
• Armor Passives
  • Light
  • Medium
  • Heavy
• Guild Passives
  • Fighters Guild
  • Undaunted
  • Mages Guild
  • Psijic Order
• Alliance Passives
  • Assault Support
• World Passives
  • Soul Magic

Consumables

Lava Foot Soup-And-Saltrice

Type: Foods

SUSTAIN but NO HEALTH: Increase Max Stamina by 4575 and Stamina Recovery by 457 for 2 hours. (effects are scaled based on your level)

Artaeum Takeaway Broth

Type: Foods

OVERALL: Increase Max Health by 3326 and Health Recovery by 406 and Max Stamina by 3080 and Stamina Recovery by 338 for 2 hours. (effects are scaled based on your level)

Dubious Camoran Throne

Type: Foods

CHEAP: Increase Stamina Recovery by 319 and Max Stamina and Max Health by 3192 for 2 hours. (effects are scaled based on your level)

Essence of Weapon Power

Type: Potions

BEST DAMAGE: Grants major brutality with increases weapon damage by 20% for 47.6 seconds. Grants major savagery which grants you 2191 weapon critical rating for 47.6 seconds. Restore 7582 stamina immediately. Grants you major endurance which increases your stamina recovery by 20% for 47.6. Potions have a 45sec cooldown. IMPORTANT: make sure you have three points into medicinal use passive in alchemy crafting. (INGREDIENTS: Blessed Thistle, Dragonthorn and Wormwood)

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