The battlefield is your grove. Tend to it.
Gain 333 Weapon and Spell Damage for each status effect on your target, up to a maximum of 1665.
Stamina Warden (StamDen) DPS Build for ESO Update 50. This is a pure class Warden setup with very good single target damage and useful support for the group.
The main setup is built for damage, but Warden can make a few small changes to become extremely supportive with minimal DPS loss. It can switch to Tundra's Maw to provide Major Brittle , or use an Ice Staff front bar to provide Minor Brittle .
Parsed 183.0k DPS in the Full Damage setup.
Works in normal and veteran dungeons, trials, hard modes, Dragonstar Arena, and Blackrose Prison.
This is a group build for Dungeons and Trials. If you're looking for other Warden builds, check out the Warden Builds.
I built a simulator that takes the current setup from the guide and plays it through the listed rotation. It uses the listed gear, skills, Champion Points, race, Mundus, food, potions, target armor and target health. It tracks skill casts, light attacks, DoT ticks, cooldowns, execute scaling, crits and status effect rolls. It assumes 97% of light attacks hit and a 0.040 second weave average.
Comparison tables in this guide use the deterministic sim on the 21 million HP Iron Atronach trial dummy. The Base Setup is treated as the default.
For comparison tables I keep the setup identical and change one thing at a time. That makes the tables better for comparing options than random dummy parses, where one run can get better crits, different status effects or a better execute window.
The sim assumes Frost lines up cleanly with Stampede ticks. Real Stampede ticks are close to 1 second apart, but not exactly. In one of my parses for example, Frost hit at 19.198s, but Stampede ticked at 21.191s, which was 0.007s before the 2 second enchant cooldown was ready. Frost then waited for the next Stampede tick and hit at 22.241s. The same kind of miss happened from 25.201s to 28.223s and 36.536s to 39.538s, etc.
This makes the sim overperform by overcounting Frost compared to a real parse. In that parse, Frost fired off on average every 2.45 seconds, even though the enchant's cooldown is only 2 seconds.
| Run | DPS |
|---|---|
| 21m deterministic sim | |
| 100 random 21m sims |
The Full Damage setup changes the Base Setup: Slivers of the Null Arca replaces Whorl of the Depths , Fetcher Infection replaces Soul Burst , Frost replaces Weapon Damage on the back bar, Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder replaces Braised Rabbit with Spring Vegetables , and the armor changes from 6 Light / 1 Medium to 6 Medium / 1 Light
| Run | DPS |
|---|---|
| 21m deterministic sim | |
| Real 21m CMX parse | |
| 100 random 21m sims |
Class Masteries are a new U50 system where each class picks 2 of 5 passive bonuses (Class Mastery Points, not Skill Points). Activating subclassing disables Class Mastery, so it's a tradeoff between keeping your native skill lines or subclassing.
The battlefield is your grove. Tend to it.
Gain 333 Weapon and Spell Damage for each status effect on your target, up to a maximum of 1665.
Simply the best damage option.
Tap into the wellspring of permafrost's resolve.
Upgrades to also activate when casting Winter's Embrace abilities and to grant 15% Weapon and Spell Damage for 10 seconds if you are at full Health after the heal.
Simply the best damage option.
Expose your enemies to unrelenting cold.
Applying to an enemy also applies for 2 seconds, increasing their Critical Damage taken by 20%.
Replaces Glacial Obstinance . It can provide an extremely strong buff to your group, and it's roughly an 8.1% DPS loss.
The twisting of seasons has tempered your will.
Reduce your damage taken by 3% for every status effect active on your attacker, up to a maximum of 15%.
Not useful for this setup.
Share in the spoils of nature's abundance.
Upgrades rank 2 of to grant you and your group members for 3 seconds and an additional 125 Magicka and Stamina, up to once every 2 seconds.
Not useful for this setup.
| Class Mastery | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Adaptation + Glacial Obstinance | Baseline | |
| Wild Adaptation + Tundra's Maw | -8.1% |
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: Rapid StrikesMorph of Flurry | Slot 1: Arctic BlastMorph of Arctic Wind |
| Slot 2: Deep FissureMorph of Scorch | Slot 2: Winter's RevengeMorph of Impaling Shards |
| Slot 3: Traveling KnifePoison / Assassin's Misery / Berserk | Slot 3: Lotus BlossomMorph of Lotus Flower |
| Slot 4: Soul BurstBleed / Lingering Torment / Intellect and Endurance | Slot 4: StampedeMorph of Critical Charge |
| Slot 5: Barbed TrapMorph of Trap Beast | Slot 5: Bull NetchMorph of Betty Netch |
| Ultimate: Wild GuardianMorph of Feral Guardian | Ultimate: Wild GuardianMorph of Feral Guardian |
Whenever you need to slot situational skills, replace Soul Burst unless stated otherwise
| Rotation | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|
| Priority List | Baseline | |
| Static Rotation | -4.2% |
Priority List
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.
Static Rotation
This might be easier for some players, but it is weaker than the priority list.
Lotus Blossom stays outside this repeating Static Rotation because it lasts 60 seconds. Refresh it separately when it runs out.
Do not cast Wild Guardian 's active ability during the fight. Holding your Ultimate is crucial. Only cast it when the boss is at around 1% Health and the fight is about to end.
Recast Traveling Knife every 10 seconds to maintain its Status Effect chance debuff, not every 20 seconds for Minor Berserk .
Pre-buff
These abilities can be pre-cast before entering combat
A few examples of final setups you could end up with after applying the situational skills to the base setup
Example of a setup you can use for trash packs
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Whirling BladesMorph of Whirlwind | Slot 1: Winter's RevengeMorph of Impaling Shards |
| Slot 2: Deep FissureMorph of Scorch | Slot 2: Proximity DetonationMorph of Magicka Detonation |
| Slot 3: Traveling KnifePoison / Assassin's Misery / Berserk | Slot 3: Lotus BlossomMorph of Lotus Flower |
| Slot 4: Quick CloakMorph of Blade Cloak | Slot 4: StampedeMorph of Critical Charge |
| Slot 5: Arctic BlastMorph of Arctic Wind | Slot 5: Bull NetchMorph of Betty Netch |
| Ultimate: Wild GuardianMorph of Feral Guardian | Ultimate: Northern StormMorph of Sleet Storm |
Changes compared to the Base Setup
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Rapid StrikesMorph of Flurry | Slot 1: Arctic BlastMorph of Arctic Wind |
| Slot 2: Deep FissureMorph of Scorch | Slot 2: Winter's RevengeMorph of Impaling Shards |
| Slot 3: Traveling KnifePoison / Assassin's Misery / Berserk | Slot 3: Lotus BlossomMorph of Lotus Flower |
| Slot 4: Fetcher InfectionMorph of Swarm | Slot 4: StampedeMorph of Critical Charge |
| Slot 5: Barbed TrapMorph of Trap Beast | Slot 5: Bull NetchMorph of Betty Netch |
| Ultimate: Wild GuardianMorph of Feral Guardian | Ultimate: Wild GuardianMorph of Feral Guardian |
Changes compared to the Base Setup
Class - Animal Companions
Bond with Nature
- High Priority
Savage Beast
- High Priority
Flourish
- High Priority
Advanced Species
- High Priority
Class - Green Balance
Accelerated Growth
- Medium Priority
Nature's Gift
- High Priority
Emerald Moss
- Low Priority
Maturation
- High Priority
Class - Winter's Embrace
Glacial Presence
- High Priority
Frozen Armor
- High Priority
Icy Aura
- High Priority
Piercing Cold
- High Priority
Weapon - Dual Wield
Focused Killer
- High Priority
Ambidextrous
- High Priority
Controlled Fury
- High Priority
Ruffian
- Medium Priority
Twin Blade and Blunt
- High Priority
Weapon - Two Handed
Forceful
- Medium Priority
Heavy Weapons
- High Priority
Balanced Blade
- High Priority
Follow Up
- Low Priority
Battle Rush
- Low Priority
Armor - Light Armor
Grace
- Low Priority
Evocation
- High Priority
Spell Warding
- High Priority
Prodigy
- High Priority
Concentration
- High Priority
Armor - Medium Armor
Dexterity
- High Priority
Wind Walker
- High Priority
Improved Sneak
- Not needed
Agility
- High Priority
Athletics
- High Priority
Guild - Fighters Guild
Intimidating Presence
- High Priority
Slayer
- High Priority
Banish the Wicked
- High Priority
Skilled Tracker
- High Priority
Bounty Hunter
- Not needed
Guild - Mages Guild
Persuasive Will
- Not needed
Mage Adept
- Low Priority
Everlasting Magic
- Low Priority
Magicka Controller
- Low Priority
Might of the Guild
- Low Priority
Guild - Undaunted
Undaunted Command
- High Priority
Undaunted Mettle
- High Priority
Race - Your Race
Get all of your racials, no matter which race you are
Craft - Alchemy
Solvent Proficiency
- Not needed
Keen Eye: Reagents
- Not needed
Medicinal Use
- High Priority
Chemistry
- Not needed
Laboratory Use
- Not needed
Snakeblood
- Not needed
A base setup that will work for most situations and which should be your starting point when making situational setups. It assumes your group provides an Infused Crusher enchantment and nothing more
Switching gear for trash packs isn't worth it unless you're using gear-swap addons
Light Armor gives penetration through the Concentration passive, so it doesn't depend on your group composition. Medium Armor can be stronger but needs your group to provide penetration. Use Light Armor if you don't know what your group brings, Medium Armor if you do.
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Head |
Slimecraw | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
Shoulders |
Whorl of the Depths | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Chest |
Whorl of the Depths | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Hands |
Aerie's Cry | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Belt |
Whorl of the Depths | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Legs |
Whorl of the Depths | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Boots |
Whorl of the Depths | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Necklace |
Aerie's Cry | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
Ring |
Aerie's Cry | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
Ring |
Shattered Paths Signet | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
Frontbar Main Hand |
Aerie's Cry | Dagger | Charged | Poison |
Frontbar Off Hand |
Aerie's Cry | Dagger | Charged | Flame |
Backbar Main Hand |
Merciless Charge | Greatsword | Infused | Weapon Damage |
This setup does 166.9k DPS
Fallback Gear
If you don't have it, use in order
If you don't have it, use in order
Alternative (same bonus)
This is the crafted gear setup you can start with
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Head |
Highland Sentinel | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
Shoulders |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Chest |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Hands |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Belt |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Legs |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Boots |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Necklace |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
Ring |
Order's Wrath | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
Ring |
Highland Sentinel | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
Frontbar Main Hand |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Dagger | Charged | Poison |
Frontbar Off Hand |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Dagger | Charged | Flame |
Backbar Main Hand |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Greatsword | Infused | Weapon Damage |
This setup does 126.2k DPS
Changes compared to the Regular Light Setup
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 |
Slimecraw | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
Shoulders |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Chest |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Hands |
Aerie's Cry | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Belt |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Legs |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Boots |
Order's Wrath | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Necklace |
Aerie's Cry | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
Ring |
Aerie's Cry | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
Ring |
Shattered Paths Signet | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
Frontbar Main Hand |
Aerie's Cry | Dagger | Charged | Poison |
Frontbar Off Hand |
Aerie's Cry | Dagger | Charged | Flame |
Backbar Main Hand |
Merciless Charge | Greatsword | Infused | Weapon Damage |
This setup does 155.3k DPS
Fallback Gear
If you don't have it, use in order
If you don't have it, use in order
Alternative (same bonus)
Changes compared to the Regular Light Setup
This is a setup you should use in trash packs
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Head |
Slimecraw | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Shoulders |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Chest |
Sul-Xan's Torment | Medium | Divines | Stamina |
Hands |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Light | Divines | Stamina |
Belt |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Light | 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 Magical Harm |
Ring |
Sul-Xan's Torment | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
Ring |
Sul-Xan's Torment | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Increase Magical Harm |
Frontbar Main Hand |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Dagger | Charged | Disease |
Frontbar Off Hand |
Tide-Born Wildstalker | Dagger | Charged | Flame |
Backbar Main Hand |
Merciless Charge | Greatsword | Infused | Weapon Damage |
Changes compared to the Regular Light Setup
Damage comparison for the set options.
Body (Light)
Compares X Light set + Aerie's Cry weapons and jewelry.
| Body Set | Source | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whorl of the Depths | Trial - Dreadsail Reef | Baseline | |
| Highland Sentinel | Crafted |
-3.0%
-7.3%
|
|
| Mora Scribe's Thesis | Trial - Lucent Citadel | -4.4% | |
| Order's Wrath ? | Crafted | -6.9% | |
| Tide-Born Wildstalker | Crafted | -7.2% | |
| Mother's Sorrow | Overland - Deshaan | -7.5% | |
| Frostbite | Overland - Blackwood | -7.7% | |
| Hunding's Rage | Crafted | -8.1% | |
| Law of Julianos | Crafted | -8.4% |
Body (Medium)
Compares X Medium set + Aerie's Cry weapons and jewelry, with Exploiter replacing Fighting Finesse .
| Body Set | Source | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ansuul's Torment | Trial - Sanity's Edge |
+2.6%
-4.5%
|
|
| Slivers of the Null Arca | Trial - Lucent Citadel | Baseline | |
| Sul-Xan's Torment | Trial - Rockgrove |
-0.7%
-8.0%
|
|
| Highland Sentinel | Crafted |
-1.6%
-6.3%
|
|
| Aegis Caller | Dungeon - Unhallowed Grave | -4.8% | |
| Tzogvin's Warband | Dungeon - Frostvault | -6.0% | |
| Tide-Born Wildstalker | Crafted | -6.2% | |
| Order's Wrath | Crafted | -7.6% | |
| Pillar of Nirn | Dungeon - Falkreath Hold | -7.8% | |
| Deadly Strike | PvP - Cyrodiil | -7.8% | |
| Hunding's Rage | Crafted | -8.3% | |
| Law of Julianos | Crafted | -9.0% |
Weapons + Jewelry
Compares Whorl of the Depths body + X weapons and jewelry set.
| Set | Source | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ansuul's Torment | Trial - Sanity's Edge |
+0.4%
-8.3%
|
|
| Aerie's Cry | Class Set - Infinite Archive | Baseline | |
| Slivers of the Null Arca | Trial - Lucent Citadel | -2.5% | |
| Berserking Warrior | Trial - Hel Ra Citadel | -2.9% | |
| Highland Sentinel | Crafted |
-3.1%
-7.6%
|
|
| Sul-Xan's Torment | Trial - Rockgrove |
-4.0%
-10.2%
|
|
| Aegis Caller | Dungeon - Unhallowed Grave | -5.5% | |
| Tzogvin's Warband | Dungeon - Frostvault | -7.1% | |
| Order's Wrath ? | Crafted | -7.2% | |
| Tide-Born Wildstalker | Crafted | -7.5% | |
| Pillar of Nirn | Dungeon - Falkreath Hold | -7.7% | |
| Mora Scribe's Thesis | Trial - Lucent Citadel | -8.1% | |
| Mother's Sorrow | Overland - Deshaan | -8.1% | |
| Deadly Strike | PvP - Cyrodiil | -8.1% | |
| Frostbite | Overland - Blackwood | -8.1% | |
| Hunding's Rage | Crafted | -8.3% | |
| Law of Julianos | Crafted | -8.9% |
Mythic + Monster
Compares X Mythic or Monster + Whorl of the Depths body and Aerie's Cry weapons and jewelry.
| Setup | Source | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shattered Paths Signet | Mythic | Baseline | |
| Selene | Monster Set | -4.7% | |
| Velothi Ur-Mage's Amulet | Mythic | -8.7% |
Daggers are the default weapon. Bow and Greatsword use the listed skill changes.
| Front Bar Weapon | Skill Changes | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dual Wield Daggers | None | Baseline | |
| Bow | Rapid Strikes -> Lethal Arrow , Traveling Knife -> Poison Injection | -4.0% | |
| Greatsword | Rapid Strikes -> Wrecking Blow , Traveling Knife -> Carve | -5.2% |
The front bar weapon and listed skills change. Daggers use Charged Poison and Charged Flame . Bow uses a Charged Flame weapon. Greatsword uses a Charged Poison weapon.
Alternative setups for different goals and content types
Content-Specific Swaps
Use the Penetration Calculator to fine-tune your penetration for different content. Overland enemies have 9,100 armor while Instanced enemies (Arenas and Dungeons) have 18,200.
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.
| Race | Simulated Parse | Damage Change |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Elf | Baseline | |
| Orc | -0.5% | |
| High Elf | -1.6% | |
| Khajiit ? | -1.7% | |
| Wood Elf | -3.4% | |
| Redguard | -3.4% | |
| Imperial | -3.4% | |
| Nord | -3.9% | |
| Argonian | -4.0% | |
| Breton | -5.3% |
You should always put all 64 attribute points into Stamina.
This build should sustain properly with the default food. Use the sustain options if you need more Stamina or Magicka Recovery.
All parses are recorded on the 21 million Target Dummy.
Yes. The Full Damage setup parsed 183.0k DPS. StamDen has very good single target damage and can switch to useful support for the group.
Light Armor gives penetration through the Concentration passive, so it doesn't depend on your group composition. Medium Armor can be stronger but needs your group to provide penetration, for example through Roar of Alkosh . Use Light Armor if you don't know what your group brings, Medium Armor if you do.
Yes, you can replace the Dual Wield Daggers with Bow or Greatsword. Use the skill, trait and enchant changes listed in the Front Bar Weapons table.
Dark Elf is the best race for Warden DPS in 12-man Trials, and Khajiit is the best for 4-man Dungeons. The difference between best and worst race is about 5% - see the Race section for more details.
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