Beam DPS Build
for every Class

Subclassing

Every class can use Beam DPS through subclassing by taking Herald of the Tome for Pragmatic Fatecarver. Dragonknight currently has the highest parsing setup, while the other classes use their recommended subclass combination around the same Fatecarver core.

Base Class

You can use this build with any base class.

(Almost) Always Use These Two

Herald of the Tome

Arcanist

Dawn's Wrath

Templar

We will (almost) always use Arcanist's Herald of the Tome and Templar's Dawn's Wrath. Herald of the Tome gives us access to the core ability of this build - Pragmatic Fatecarver. Dawn's Wrath provides us with Radiant Glory, an extremely strong execute, and Solar Barrage, a skill which increases damage of class skills by 5% which will affect Pragmatic Fatecarver.

Dragonknight exception

Dragonknight is an exception. It uses Ardent Flame and Earthen Heart skill lines instead of Dawn's Wrath.

3rd Skill Line

Choose one of these as your 3rd skill line. If your base class is Arcanist or Templar you can choose any of them, otherwise you're locked to a single possible combination

Aedric Spear

Templar

Storm Calling

Sorcerer

Assassination

Nightblade

Animal Companions

Warden

Grave Lord

Necromancer

Final Combinations

The DPS numbers below come from Iron Atronach dummy parses . Additional Benefits are bonuses that weren't reflected on a dummy parse, but can be useful in actual fights. For example, Aedric Spear's Piercing Spear passive gives bonus Critical Damage, but it wasn't important on the dummy because it already has enough Critical Damage, but it will make a difference in actual content. Balanced Warrior is a defensive example - it grants Weapon and Spell Damage (which is already in the parse) plus Armor, so the Armor is the only additional benefit that's being mentioned.

Herald of the Tome

Arcanist

Dawn's Wrath

Templar

Assassination

Nightblade

DPS 145,350 DPS

Usable by Arcanist Templar Nightblade

Additional Benefits

10% Critical Damage from Hemorrhage

Group Minor Savagery from Hemorrhage

Great sustain in trash thanks to Executioner passive

Ultimate generation on kills thanks to Soul Harvest

Cons

Requires flanking enemies for Master Assassin passive to work

Herald of the Tome

Arcanist

Dawn's Wrath

Templar

Storm Calling

Sorcerer

DPS 141,249 DPS

Usable by Arcanist Templar Sorcerer

Additional Benefits

Self-sufficient Major Resolve from Hurricane

Additional sustain from Capacitor

Situational self-healing from Critical Surge

Cons

N/A

Herald of the Tome

Arcanist

Dawn's Wrath

Templar

Animal Companions

Warden

DPS 144,621 DPS

Usable by Arcanist Templar Warden

Additional Benefits

Great sustain thanks to Flourish and Bull Netch/Blue Betty

Additional Critical Damage from Advanced Species

Self-sufficient Major and Minor Breach thanks to Deep Fissure, helpful when playing with bad Tanks

Deep Fissure is a very good pre-cast ability for trash packs

Cons

Wild Guardian is a single target ultimate that has to be double-barred, so you can't bring The Languid Eye as a backup AoE ultimate

Herald of the Tome

Arcanist

Dawn's Wrath

Templar

Grave Lord

Necromancer

DPS 143,887 DPS

Usable by Arcanist Templar Necromancer

Additional Benefits

Extremely strong execute thanks to Death Knell

Additional penetration from Dismember, helpful when playing with bad Tanks

Cons

Skills that interact with corpses are extremely buggy

Herald of the Tome

Arcanist

Dawn's Wrath

Templar

Aedric Spear

Templar

DPS 145,890 DPS

Usable by Templar

Additional Benefits

12% Critical Damage from Piercing Spear

6% Armor from Balanced Warrior

Cons

N/A

Herald of the Tome

Arcanist

Ardent Flame

Dragonknight

Earthen Heart

Dragonknight

DPS 147,428 DPS

Usable by Dragonknight

Additional Benefits

Self-sufficient Major Resolve from Shatterspike Mantle

Supports the group with Standard of Might

Provides Major Brutality/Sorcery for the group thanks to Igneous Weapons

2,974 Armor from Heart of Stone passive

Doesn't lose cleave in execute, because it never switches from Pragmatic Fatecarver to Radiant Glory

Cons

No execute ability

Passives

Gear

Base Setup

A base setup that will work for most situations and which should be your starting point when making situational setups

Switching gear for trash packs isn't worth it unless you're using gear-swap addons

Gear Slot	Set	Weight/Type	Trait	Enchantment
Head	Nerieneth	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Shoulders	Nerieneth	Light	Divines	Stamina
Chest	Slivers of Null Arca	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Hands	Slivers of Null Arca	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Belt	Slivers of Null Arca	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Legs	Slivers of Null Arca	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Boots	Slivers of Null Arca	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Necklace	Velothi Ur-Mage's Amulet	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Ring	Highland Sentinel	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Ring	Highland Sentinel	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Frontbar Main Hand	Highland Sentinel	Dagger	Nirnhoned	Flame
Frontbar Off Hand	Highland Sentinel	Dagger	Charged	Poison
Backbar Main Hand	Merciless Charge	Greatsword	Infused	Weapon Damage

Situational

• Sul-Xan's Torment - best for trash packs and bosses that regularly spawn adds
• Ansuul's Torment - best for AoE boss fights
• Crushing Wall - best for trash packs, replaces Merciless Charge on the backbar. Also needed if you want access to Elemental Rage since it requires a Destruction Staff

Alternative

Easier to obtain options while working towards the best gear

Crafted (tradable):

• Order's Wrath
• Tide-Born Wildstalker

PvP (tradable):

• Deadly Strike

Additional Info

• Use Absorb Stamina instead of Flame when using the Dragonknight setup

Final Setups

A few examples of final setups you could end up with after applying situational rules to the base setup

This is the crafted gear setup you can start with

Gear Slot	Set	Weight/Type	Trait	Enchantment
Head	Order's Wrath	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Shoulders	Order's Wrath	Light	Divines	Stamina
Chest	Tide-Born Wildstalker	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Hands	Tide-Born Wildstalker	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Belt	Tide-Born Wildstalker	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Legs	Tide-Born Wildstalker	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Boots	Tide-Born Wildstalker	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Necklace	Order's Wrath	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Ring	Order's Wrath	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Ring	Order's Wrath	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Frontbar Main Hand	Highland Sentinel	Dagger	Nirnhoned	Flame
Frontbar Off Hand	Highland Sentinel	Dagger	Charged	Poison
Backbar Main Hand	Highland Sentinel	Inferno Staff	Infused	Weapon Damage

This setup parses 117.9k DPS. Use the Base Skill Setup with the changes shown below. When your setup needs to slot situational skills, replace Fulminating Rune first, then Quick Cloak.

Skill Setup

Front Bar	Back Bar
Slot 1: Cephaliarch's Flail	Slot 1: Solar Barrage
Slot 2: Pragmatic Fatecarver	Slot 2: Fulminating Rune
Slot 3: Radiant Glory	Slot 3: Inspired Scholarship
Slot 4: Quick Cloak	Slot 4: Elemental Blockade
Slot 5: Barbed Trap	Slot 5: Vampire's Bane
Ultimate: The Languid Eye	Ultimate: The Languid Eye

• Barbed Trap replaces Camouflaged Hunter - you don't get Minor Force from Velothi Ur-Mage's Amulet yet
• Elemental Blockade replaces Stampede - you don't have Merciless Charge yet, and Elemental Blockade is easier to sustain with

This is a setup you should use if you don't have access to any Trial gear

Gear Slot	Set	Weight/Type	Trait	Enchantment
Head	Nerieneth	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Shoulders	Nerieneth	Light	Divines	Stamina
Chest	Tide-Born Wildstalker	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Hands	Tide-Born Wildstalker	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Belt	Tide-Born Wildstalker	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Legs	Tide-Born Wildstalker	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Boots	Tide-Born Wildstalker	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Necklace	Velothi Ur-Mage's Amulet	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Ring	Highland Sentinel	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Ring	Highland Sentinel	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Frontbar Main Hand	Highland Sentinel	Dagger	Nirnhoned	Flame
Frontbar Off Hand	Highland Sentinel	Dagger	Charged	Poison
Backbar Main Hand	Merciless Charge	Greatsword	Infused	Weapon Damage

Parses 135.7k DPS.

This is a setup you should use in trash packs

Gear Slot	Set	Weight/Type	Trait	Enchantment
Head	Nerieneth	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Shoulders	Nerieneth	Light	Divines	Stamina
Chest	Sul-Xan's Torment	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Hands	Sul-Xan's Torment	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Belt	Sul-Xan's Torment	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Legs	Sul-Xan's Torment	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Boots	Sul-Xan's Torment	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Necklace	Velothi Ur-Mage's Amulet	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Ring	Highland Sentinel	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Ring	Highland Sentinel	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Frontbar Main Hand	Highland Sentinel	Dagger	Nirnhoned	Flame
Frontbar Off Hand	Highland Sentinel	Dagger	Charged	Poison
Backbar Main Hand	Crushing Wall	Inferno Staff	Infused	Weapon Damage

This is a setup you should use in AoE fights

Gear Slot	Set	Weight/Type	Trait	Enchantment
Head	Nerieneth	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Shoulders	Nerieneth	Light	Divines	Stamina
Chest	Ansuul's Torment	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Hands	Ansuul's Torment	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Belt	Ansuul's Torment	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Legs	Ansuul's Torment	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Boots	Ansuul's Torment	Medium	Divines	Stamina
Necklace	Velothi Ur-Mage's Amulet	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Ring	Highland Sentinel	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Ring	Highland Sentinel	Jewelry	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Frontbar Main Hand	Highland Sentinel	Dagger	Nirnhoned	Flame
Frontbar Off Hand	Highland Sentinel	Dagger	Charged	Poison
Backbar Main Hand	Merciless Charge	Greatsword	Infused	Weapon Damage

Parses 142.9k DPS.

Champion Points

Warfare

Master-at-Arms

6% Direct Damage

Because more than 60% of your damage is Direct

Biting Aura

6% AoE Damage

Because more than 60% of your damage is AoE

Fighting Finesse

8% Critical Damage and Healing

Next strongest CP damage-wise

Wrathful Strikes

205 Weapon and Spell Damage

Next strongest CP damage-wise

Crit Cap

Replace Fighting Finesse with Exploiter if your supports are providing enough Critical Damage for you to reach the 125% cap

More Healing

Reaving Blows is a decent Champion Point if you need more HPS

Fitness

Boundless Vitality

1400 Max Health

Survivability

Fortified

1731 Armor

Survivability

Bloody Renewal

1500 Stamina on kills

Sustain in fights with lots of adds

Rejuvenation

90 Health, Stamina and Magicka Recovery

Sustain

Movement Speed

Use Celerity in fights where you need more movement speed. Replace the CP which is least useful for that fight, for example Bloody Renewal if a fight has no adds

Craft

Steed's Blessing

20% Movement Speed out of combat

Extremely useful utility

Quality of Life

Green Champion Points don't affect Combat, choose whatever Quality of Life you prefer

Race

The difference between best and worst race is about 5% of DPS and there is no content in the entire game that you'd be blocked from completing because of choosing a bad race.

Best for 12-Man

Dark Elf

Why pick this

Provides Max Magicka and Weapon/Spell Damage. In Trials that's usually stronger than Khajiit's Critical Damage racial, because with 4 supports your team will (usually) provide enough Critical Damage buffs for you to reach the cap regardless

Dynamic 1910 Max Stamina & Magicka

Resist Flame 4620 Flame Resistance

Ruination 258 Weapon & Spell Damage

Best for 4-Man

Khajiit

Why pick this

Khajiit's Critical Damage is more valuable than Dark Elf's Weapon/Spell Damage in 4-man content, because it's unlikely your two supports (or in many cases a single support) will be able to provide enough Critical Damage buffs for you to reach the 125% Critical Damage cap

Feline Ambush 12% Critical Damage

Lunar Blessings 915 Max Health, Stamina and Magicka

Robustness 90 Health, Stamina, Magicka Recovery

Other decent options

Orc

Brawny 1000 Max Stamina

Unflinching Rage 1000 Max Health, ≈531 Healing per Second

Swift Warrior 258 Weapon & Spell Damage, -12% Sprint Cost, +10% Sprint Speed

High Elf

Spell Recharge ≈104 lower resource per second, 5% less damage taken while channeling

Syrabane's Boon 2000 Max Magicka

Elemental Talent 258 Weapon & Spell Damage

Wood Elf

Hunter's Eye 950 Penetration, 5% Movement Speed

Y'ffre's Endurance 258 Stamina Recovery

Resist Affliction 2000 Max Stamina, 2310 Poison and Disease Resistance

Imperial

Tough 2000 Max Health

Imperial Mettle 2000 Max Stamina

Red Diamond Reduce cost of all abilities by 6%

Redguard

Martial Training 8% Reduced Weapon Skill Cost, 15% Reduced effectiveness of snares

Conditioning 2000 Max Stamina

Adrenaline Rush 201 Stamina per second

Mundus

• 

  Default

  The Thief

  5.53% Critical Chance(9.04% with 7 Divines)

  Use in all content

Attributes

You should always put all 64 attribute points into Stamina

Food

Your sustain can vary greatly because it's impacted by your race, your chosen skill lines, the amount of synergies provided by your teammates, and by your armor type. Choose the food with more Stamina Recovery if you can't sustain.

• 

  Default

  Braised Rabbit with Spring Vegetables

  Max Health +5,395 Max Stamina +4,936

  Use for most content.
• 

  Sustain

  Artaeum Takeaway Broth

  Max Health +3,326 Max Stamina +3,080 Health Recovery +406 Stamina Recovery +338

  Use when you need more sustain.
  Cheaper alternative Dubious Camoran Throne

  Difference Max Health +3,094 −232 Max Stamina +2,856 −224 Health Recovery — −406 Stamina Recovery +315 −23
• 

  Full Damage

  Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder

  Max Stamina +6,048

  Max Stamina only. Use for parsing or content where you can get away without Max Health. Lava Foot Soup-and-Saltrice adds Stamina Recovery if needed, at the cost of some of the Max Stamina.

Potions

• 

  Default

  Tri-Stat Potion

  Restore Health Restore Stamina Restore Magicka

  Most of the time you should use Tri-Stat potions. They'll greatly improve your sustain.

  Craft with: Columbine Bugloss Mountain Flower
• 

  Situational

  Heroism Potion

  Restore Magicka Restore Stamina Minor Heroism

  Heroism potions provide 100% uptime on Minor Heroism which generates Ultimate, but they're extremely expensive.

  Craft with: Dragon Rheum Dragon's Blood Columbine

Parses

All parses are recorded on the 21 million Target Dummy

Dragonknight

147,428 DPS

Storm Calling

141,249 DPS

Assassination

145,350 DPS

Animal Companions

144,621 DPS

Grave Lord

143,887 DPS

Ansuul

142,869 DPS

Aedric Spear

145,890 DPS

Tide-Born

135,673 DPS

Crafted

117,854 DPS

Dragonknight

147,428DPS

21mil Iron Atronach Dummy

Patch

Update 49

Armor

6 Medium / 1 Light

Gear Setup

Highland Sentinel

Skill Setup

Dragonknight

Potion

Essence of Magicka

Food

Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder

Mundus

The Thief

Race

Dark Elf

CMX Parse

CMX Setup

Recording

Storm Calling

141,249DPS

21mil Iron Atronach Dummy

Patch

Update 49

Armor

6 Medium / 1 Light

Gear Setup

Highland Sentinel

Skill Setup

Storm Calling

Potion

Essence of Magicka

Food

Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder

Mundus

The Thief

Race

Dark Elf

CMX Parse

CMX Setup

Recording

Assassination

145,350DPS

21mil Iron Atronach Dummy

Patch

Update 49

Armor

6 Medium / 1 Light

Gear Setup

Highland Sentinel

Skill Setup

Assassination

Potion

Essence of Magicka

Food

Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder

Mundus

The Thief

Race

Dark Elf

CMX Parse

CMX Setup

Recording

Animal Companions

144,621DPS

21mil Iron Atronach Dummy

Patch

Update 49

Armor

6 Medium / 1 Light

Gear Setup

Highland Sentinel

Skill Setup

Animal Companions

Potion

Essence of Magicka

Food

Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder

Mundus

The Thief

Race

Dark Elf

CMX Parse

CMX Setup

Recording

Grave Lord

143,887DPS

21mil Iron Atronach Dummy

Patch

Update 49

Armor

6 Medium / 1 Light

Gear Setup

Highland Sentinel

Skill Setup

Grave Lord

Potion

Essence of Magicka

Food

Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder

Mundus

The Thief

Race

Dark Elf

CMX Parse

CMX Setup

Recording

Ansuul's Torment

142,869DPS

21mil Iron Atronach Dummy

Patch

Update 49

Armor

6 Medium / 1 Light

Gear Setup

Ansuul's Torment

Skill Setup

Dragonknight

Potion

Essence of Magicka

Food

Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder

Mundus

The Thief

Race

Dark Elf

CMX Parse

CMX Setup

Aedric Spear

145,890DPS

21mil Iron Atronach Dummy

Patch

Update 49

Armor

6 Medium / 1 Light

Gear Setup

Highland Sentinel

Skill Setup

Aedric Spear

Potion

Essence of Magicka

Food

Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder

Mundus

The Thief

Race

Dark Elf

CMX Parse

CMX Setup

Recording

Tide-Born Wildstalker

135,673DPS

21mil Iron Atronach Dummy

Patch

Update 49

Armor

6 Medium / 1 Light

Gear Setup

Tide-Born Wildstalker

Skill Setup

Dragonknight

Potion

Essence of Magicka

Food

Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder

Mundus

The Thief

Race

Dark Elf

CMX Parse

CMX Setup

Crafted Only

117,854DPS

21mil Iron Atronach Dummy

Patch

Update 49

Armor

6 Medium / 1 Light

Gear Setup

Crafted Only

Skill Setup

Dragonknight

Potion

Essence of Magicka

Food

Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder

Mundus

The Thief

Race

Dark Elf

CMX Parse

CMX Setup

✕ Close

Gameplay

Dragonknight Assassination Storm Calling Animal Companions Grave Lord Aedric Spear

FAQ