BOW/BOW PVE DPS BUILD
Last updated: Update 47 - 13th October 2025
Bow DPS build focused purely on group PvE content. This setup takes the most optimal options available while fully committing to using Bows on both bars. It's made for Dungeons and Trials, working well in both organized and unorganized groups.
THEME
In this build, I'm making 2 suboptimal choices for the sake of Theme
- using Bows on both bars. For example Dual Wield with a Greatsword on backbar would be stronger
- using a Bow spammable - Lethal Arrow. For example a class spammable like Escalating Runeblades would be stronger
From that point, the build always chooses the strongest option
SUBCLASSING
Combination
Dragonknight - Ardent Flame
Nightblade - Assassination
Templar - Aedric Spear
Base Class
This build can use either Dragonknight, Nightblade or Templar as your base class.
SKILL SETUPS
Base Setup
A base setup that will work for most situations and which should be your starting point when making situational setups
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Lethal Arrow | Slot 1: Flames of Oblivion |
| Slot 2: Blazing Spear | Slot 2: Poison Injection |
| Slot 3: Merciless Resolve | Slot 3: Molten Whip |
| Slot 4: Killer's Blade | Slot 4: Endless Hail |
| Slot 5: Acid Spray | Slot 5: Venomous Claw |
| Ultimate: Incapacitating Strike | Ultimate: Standard of Might |
- Lethal Arrow - a spammable which always applies the Poisoned status effect
- Blazing Spear - a 10 second ground DoT which also deals decent AoE direct damage at the start. Having it slotted is necessary to trigger passives of the Aedric Spear skill line
- Merciless Resolve - an ability that will cause your Light and Heavy Attacks to generate stacks. You can spend 5 stacks to fire a powerful arrow that also heals you if you're in Melee range. It also grants you Major Savagery and Prophecy
- Killer’s Blade - an execute which becomes stronger than Lethal Arrow at 30% HP. At 14% HP it also becomes stronger than Merciless Resolve
- Acid Spray - an ability which deals decent damage in a conal AoE and then applies a 6 second DoT to all hit enemies. This is your spammable for when you need to do AoE damage
- Incapacitating Strike - a cheap ultimate which increases your target's damage taken from you by 20% for 8 seconds. If used with 120 or more Ultimate, it lasts 12 seconds instead. You should use it when you know you won't be able to get enough Ultimate for another Standard of Might or when the enemy is on the move so they wouldn't stand inside your Standard of Might
- Flames of Oblivion - an ability that deals lots of damage per cast and passively grants you Major Savagery and Prophecy buffs, which increase your Critical Chance by 12%. It will also trigger the Weapon and Spell Damage buff from Molten Whip
- Poison Injection - a 20 second DoT which deals increased damage to low health targets. It also increases your damage done to its target if you're wearing the Caustic Arrow set, which is something you want to switch to for Single Target fights
- Molten Whip - having this ability slotted will grant you up to 300 Weapon and Spell Damage after using other Ardent Flame skills (in this skill setup it's going to be Venomous Claw, Flames of Oblivion, and Standard of Might). Keeping this buff up is important so re-cast Flames of Oblivion early if the Molten Whip buff is about to expire
- Endless Hail - a 13 second ground DoT with a 2 second delay which will proc your backbar weapon enchant and will deal increased damage thanks to the Thunderous Volley set
- Venomous Claw - a strong DoT that is also guaranteed to proc the Poisoned status effect. It will also trigger the Weapon and Spell Damage buff from Molten Whip
- Standard of Might - an extremely strong ultimate that will deal AoE damage, increase all of your damage done and decrease your damage taken. Stack up your DoTs before using it
Choosing which skill to replace depends on the type of the fight. Acid Spray is weak in Single Target fights while Poison Injection and Venomous Claw are bad in AoE fights
- Barbed Trap - a strong 20 second Single Target DoT which also provides Minor Force and grants 3% Weapon and Spell Damage through the Slayer passive. You have to use it whenever you replace Velothi Ur-Mage’s Amulet
- Resolving Vigor - a self-heal you'll need for some fights
- Proximity Detonation - extremely good ability for trash packs, you can pre-cast it as you're running into them
- Anti-Cavalry Caltrops - a decent AoE DoT which can replace one of your Single Target DoTs in AoE fights
- Shooting Star - an ultimate that deals damage in an AoE, leaves a ground DoT and grants you Ultimate for each enemy hit with the initial blast, up to 6 enemies. It's a good replacement for Standard of Might for trash packs, where you wouldn't be able to make use of Standard of Might's entire duration
- Venom Arrow - the other morph of Poison Injection which deals less damage but grants you Major Brutality and Sorcery. Getting these buffs from a skill allows you to use Heroism potions instead of Weapon Power potions, which ends up being stronger, but is very costly to sustain because Heroism potions are expensive
Priority List
I don't use a static rotation so this is just a list of priorities. Simply recast abilities when they run out and follow this list of priorities when there are multiple things to refresh
- Use Flames of Oblivion if Molten Whip's buff is about to run out
- Use Endless Hail
- Use Venomous Claw
- Use Blazing Spear
- Use Poison Injection
- Use Flames of Oblivion
- Use Acid Spray
- Use Incapacitating Strike if you won't be able to get another Standard or if the fight is mobile
- Use Standard of Might
- Use Merciless Resolve if it's ready (skip below 14% HP)
- Use Lethal Arrow (skip below 30% HP)
- Use Killer’s Blade
Pre-buff
These abilities can be pre-cast before entering combat
- Flames of Oblivion
- Endless Hail - it has a 2 second delay, so it can be pre-placed if your tank is counting down before pulling
Final Setups
A few examples of final setups you could end up with after applying the situational skills to the base setup
A setup for trash packs
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Lethal Arrow | Slot 1: Flames of Oblivion |
| Slot 2: Blazing Spear | Slot 2: Proximity Detonation |
| Slot 3: Merciless Resolve | Slot 3: Molten Whip |
| Slot 4: Killer's Blade | Slot 4: Endless Hail |
| Slot 5: Acid Spray | Slot 5: Anti-Cavalry Caltrops |
| Ultimate: Incapacitating Strike | Ultimate: Shooting Star |
EXPLANATION:
- Proximity Detonation replaces Poison Injection
- Anti-Cavalry Caltrops replaces Venomous Claw
- Shooting Star replaces Standard of Might
A setup you should use for Single Target fights
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Lethal Arrow | Slot 1: Flames of Oblivion |
| Slot 2: Blazing Spear | Slot 2: Poison Injection |
| Slot 3: Merciless Resolve | Slot 3: Molten Whip |
| Slot 4: Killer's Blade | Slot 4: Endless Hail |
| Slot 5: Barbed Trap | Slot 5: Venomous Claw |
| Ultimate: Incapacitating Strike | Ultimate: Standard of Might |
EXPLANATION:
- Barbed Trap replaces Acid Spray
PASSIVES
There are no passives you need to skip with this build
Class
Weapon
Armor
Guild
Racial
Craft
Class - Ardent Flame
Combustion - High Priority
Warmth - High Priority
Searing Heat - High Priority
World in Ruin - High Priority
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
Default setup
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Head |
Slimecraw | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Shoulders |
Ansuul's Torment | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Chest |
Ansuul's Torment | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Hands |
Ansuul's Torment | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Belt |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Light | 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 |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Ring |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Frontbar Main Hand |
Ansuul's Torment | Bow | Precise | Flame |
![]() Backbar Main Hand |
Thunderous Volley | Bow | Infused | Weapon Damage |
When choosing different situational sets you should replace Ansuul’s Torment if the Situational set has Minor Slayer and Tide-Born Wildstalker otherwise, as they're both sets that are decent in both Single Target and AoE fights. You can even replace them both if a situation calls for 2 situational sets, like for example bringing Slivers of Null Arca and Highland Sentinel to a fight which is both Single Target focused and stationary.
For example, a default setup for trash packs would replace Slivers of Null Arca with Sul-Xan’s Torment
Gear that can be stronger than the setup from the table in specific situations or when specific circumstances are present
- Slivers of Null Arca - the best set for Single Target damage
- Caustic Arrow - replacement for Thunderous Volley in Single Target fights
- Zaan - a good replacement for Velothi Ur-Mage’s Amulet in Single Target fights
- Sul-Xan’s Torment - the best set for trash packs and for bosses that regularly spawn smaller adds
- Highland Sentinel - the strongest set if you are able to stand still in a certain encounter
- Roar of Alkosh - a support set that allows you to provide 6000 penetration for your team, as long as they provide you with at least 1 synergy every 10 seconds. Missing out on penetration is a huge DPS loss, so in bad groups, such as PUGs, you will actually do more damage with a support set like Alkosh than you would do with a regular set, because missing out on 6000 armor is a 12.5% damage loss
Gear that is easier to obtain and can be used while you work towards the best gear
Crafted:
All of these are tradable and can be bought from other players
No Overland, Dungeon or Trial gear is listed as the Crafted options are superior.
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 |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Shoulders |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Chest |
Order's Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Hands |
Order's Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Belt |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Legs |
Order's Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Boots |
Order's Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Necklace |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Ring |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Ring |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Frontbar Main Hand |
Assassin's Guile | Bow | Precise | Flame |
![]() Backbar Main Hand |
Assassin's Guile | Bow | Infused | Weapon Damage |
This is a setup you should use if you have don't have access to any Trial gear
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Head |
Slimecraw | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Shoulders |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Chest |
Order's Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Hands |
Order's Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Belt |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Legs |
Order's Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Boots |
Order's Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Necklace |
Velothi Ur-Mage's Amulet | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Ring |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Ring |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Frontbar Main Hand |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Bow | Precise | Flame |
![]() Backbar Main Hand |
Thunderous Volley | Bow | Infused | Weapon Damage |
This is the ideal setup for trash packs
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Head |
Slimecraw | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Shoulders |
Sul-Xan's Torment | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Chest |
Sul-Xan's Torment | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Hands |
Sul-Xan's Torment | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Belt |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Light | 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 |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Ring |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Frontbar Main Hand |
Sul-Xan's Torment | Bow | Precise | Flame |
![]() Backbar Main Hand |
Thunderous Volley | Bow | Infused | Weapon Damage |
This is a setup for Single Target fights
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Head |
Zaan | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Shoulders |
Zaan | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Chest |
Slivers of the Null Arca | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Hands |
Slivers of the Null Arca | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Belt |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Light | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Legs |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Boots |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
![]() Necklace |
Slivers of the Null Arca | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Ring |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Ring |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Physical Harm |
![]() Frontbar Main Hand |
Slivers of the Null Arca | Bow | Precise | Flame |
![]() Backbar Main Hand |
Caustic Arrow | Bow | Infused | Weapon Damage |
CHAMPION POINTS
Warfare
- Deadly Aim (6% Single Target Damage)
- Master-at-Arms (6% Direct Damage)
- Wrathful-Strikes (205 Weapon and Spell Damage)
- Fighting Finesse (8% Critical Damage and Healing)
Fitness
- Boundless Vitality (1400 Max Health)
- Fortified (1731 armor)
- Sustained by Suffering (150 Health, Stamina and Magicka Recovery when debuffed)
- Rejuvenation (90 Health, Stamina and Magicka Recovery)
ADDITIONAL INFO:
- Replace Fighting Finesse with Exploiter if you have enough Critical Damage to hit the cap without it
- Replace Deadly Aim with Biting Aura in AoE fights
- In fights with lots of adds Bloody Renewal can be stronger than Rejuvenation or Sustained by Suffering
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 race for 12-man content - Dark Elf
Best race for 4-man content - Khajiit
Other decent options: Orc, High Elf, Wood Elf, Imperial, Redguard
MUNDUS
Use The Thief Mundus, which increases your Critical Chance
ATTRIBUTES
HEALTH
0
STAMINA
64
MAGICKA
0
You should always put all 64 attribute points into Stamina
FOOD
Your sustain can vary greatly because it's impacted by your race, the amount of synergies provided by your teammates, or even by the fact whether you're debuffed in a certain fight. Choose the food with more Stamina Recovery if you can't sustain
With Max HP - for most content:
- Braised Rabbit with Spring Vegetables - Max Health, Max Stamina. Use it for most of regular content.
- Artaeum Takeaway Broth - Max Health, Max Stamina, Stamina Recovery. Use it when you need more sustain. Dubious Camoran Throne is a cheaper alternative.
Without Max HP - for parsing or content where you know you can get away with it:
- Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder - Max Stamina
- Lava Foot Soup-and-Saltrice - Max Stamina, Stamina Recovery
POTIONS
Use the Weapon Power potions (Increase Weapon Power, Weapon Critical, Restore Stamina). They'll greatly improve your sustain and provide Major Brutality which you need. You can craft them by combining Blessed Thistle, Dragonthorn and Wormwood.
There are better potions but they're expensive. Heroism potions (Heroism, Restore Stamina, Restore Magicka) can provide a 100% uptime on Minor Heroism buff which generates ultimate. If you can afford them and decide to use them, you'll have to get Major Brutality from a different source, like for example from Venom Arrow or from a group member using Igneous Weapons. They're crafted by combining Dragon Rheum, Dragon's Blood and Columbine.
PARSE
Combat Metrics screenshot of the 147.7k parse
Recording of a 147.7k parse
OTHER PARSES
Null Arca/Tide-Born - 143k DPS
GAMEPLAY
Logs of Veteran Trials I've finished using this build
Aetherian Archive - https://www.esologs.com/reports/xDC36FfhGaj9wryH
THANKS FOR READING
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The Thief