Table of contents
Last updated: Update 44 - 18th December 2024
Dragonknights have access to an absurd amount of useful tools when it comes to tanking.
They have access to 
Hardened Armor - a very strong and at the same time extremely cheap damage shield, which shields you for 31% of your max hp while costing only 2600 magicka. They also have access to 
Helping Hands - a passive which restores your stamina whenever you use an Earthen Heart ability, which you’ll be proccing with 
Igneous Shield and it’ll trivialize sustaining stamina, which is why DK is such an easy and beginner-friendly class. The 
Iron Skin and 
Scaled Armor passives grant you block mitigation and armor, which are extremely important stats for a tank.
But enough about defense. Dragonknights also provide a unique 
Stagger debuff which increases the targets’ damage taken, a unique 
Engulfing Flames debuff which increases enemies’ flame damage taken and the unique 
Minor Brutality buff which increases the group’s weapon damage by 10%.
This section will list all skills that you'll find useful for tanking. Skills marked as green are commonly useful, yellow ones are situationally useful, red ones are never (or almost never) useful.
When it comes to passives the logic is a bit different. Green passives are the ones you want to get as soon as possible, yellow ones are useful but you can delay obtaining them until you have abundance of skill points, and red ones are barely or not useful at all. There is only one passive you want to actively avoid - Tri Focus.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Spiked Armor
Cost:
2700 Magicka
Duration (Major Resolve):
20 seconds
Release your inner Dragon to gain Major Resolve, increasing your Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948 for 20 seconds. While active, the armor returns 1 Flame Damage to any enemy that uses a direct damage attack against you in melee range, scaling off your Physical and Spell Resistance.
Grants Major Resolve for 20 seconds, boosting armor by 5948. A crucial tank buff that should always be active. While it also deals damage to attackers, the scaling is negligible, so focus on the defensive value. Other sources like 
Balance or a Warden's 
Expansive Frost Cloak can also provide the same buff, but this skill improves further when morphed.
Hardened Armor
Cost:
2700 Magicka
Duration (Major Resolve):
20 seconds
Duration (Damage Shield):
6 seconds
Release your inner Dragon to gain Major Resolve, increasing your Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948 for 20 seconds. You gain a damage shield that absorbs up to 5121 damage for 6 seconds, scaling off your Max Health. While active, the armor returns 1 Flame Damage to any enemy that uses a direct damage attack against you in melee range, scaling off your Physical and Spell Resistance.
New Effect
You gain a damage shield after casting.
Hardened Armor grants a strong damage shield, absorbing 31% of your Max Health for 6 seconds at a low cost compared to similar skills. While less effective against blockable direct damage, it excels against DoTs, making it a spammable alternative to burst heals like 
Coagulating Blood in DoT-heavy encounters.
Volatile Armor
Cost:
2700 Magicka
Duration (Major Resolve):
20 seconds
Duration (DoT):
20 seconds
Release your inner Dragon to gain Major Resolve, increasing your Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948 for 20 seconds. You release a spray of fiery spikes around you, causing enemies hit to take 11 Flame Damage over 20 seconds. While active, the armor returns 1 Flame Damage to any enemy that uses a direct damage attack against you in melee range. This ability scales off your Physical and Spell Resistance.
New Effect
Enemies near you take damage over time when you activate the ability.
Dark Talons
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Duration:
4 seconds
Radius:
6 meters
Call forth talons from the ground, dealing 1742 Flame Damage to enemies near you and immobilizing them for 4 seconds. An ally near the talons can activate the Ignite synergy, dealing 2812 Flame Damage to all enemies held within them.
Dark Talons immobilizes enemies within 6 meters, deals minor damage, and allows allies to activate the Ignite synergy for decent damage. However, bosses and elite mobs are immune to immobilization and the synergy, making this skill useful only against regular trash mobs.
Burning Talons
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Duration:
4 seconds
Call forth talons from the ground, dealing 1799 Flame Damage to enemies near you, an additional 1635 Flame Damage over 5 seconds, and immobilizing them for 4 seconds. An ally near the talons can activate the Ignite synergy, dealing 2812 Flame Damage to all enemies held within them.
New Effect
Deals additional damage over time.
The 
Burning Talons morph additionally applies a 5 second DoT, even to enemies who cannot be immobilized.
Choking Talons
Cost:
3510 Magicka
Duration:
4 seconds
Call forth talons from the ground, dealing 1742 Flame Damage to enemies near you and immobilizing them for 4 seconds. Enemies hit are afflicted with Minor Maim, reducing their damage done by 5% for 10 seconds. An ally near the talons can activate the Ignite synergy, dealing 2812 Flame Damage to all enemies held within them.
New Effect
Reduces the cost and affected enemies deal less damage.
The 
Choking Talons morph reduces the skill's cost and applies Minor Maim to enemies. However, since Minor Maim is a common debuff likely already applied from other sources, the choice between this morph and Burning Talons comes down to whether you prefer reduced cost or additional damage over time, with Minor Maim being a less critical factor.
Dragon Blood
Cost:
4320 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Draw on your draconic blood to heal for 33% of your missing Health. You also gain Major Fortitude, increasing your Health Recovery by 30% for 20 seconds.
Dragon Blood heals for 33% of your missing health and grants Major Fortitude for 20 seconds, increasing health recovery by 30%. However, this buff is often redundant as it can also come from potions.
Green Dragon Blood
Cost:
4320 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Draw on your draconic blood to heal for 33% of your missing Health and an additional 511 Health every 1 second over 5 seconds. The heal over time scales off of your Max Health. You also gain Major Fortitude, Major Endurance, and Minor Vitality, increasing your Health Recovery and Stamina Recovery by 30% and healing received and damage shield strength by 6% for 20 seconds.
New Effect
You also gain Major Endurance, Minor Vitality, and additional healing over time.
Green Dragon Blood retains its original healing effect, healing 33% of your missing health, while also granting Major Endurance and Minor Vitality for 20 seconds. Major Endurance increases stamina recovery by 30%, but since you’re already getting it from potions, it’s not really needed here. Minor Vitality increases healing received by 8%, but this is typically covered by healers wearing the 
Ozezan set in 12-man content. This morph also struggles against healing absorb mechanics, as it only starts healing effectively when you're already low on HP, when it's already too late to deal with the healing absorb.
Coagulating Blood
Cost:
4320 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Draw on your draconic blood to heal for 2999, increasing by up to 50% additional healing based on your missing Health. You also gain Major Fortitude, increasing your Health Recovery by 30% for 20 seconds.
New Effect
Now heals based on your offensive stats rather than Health and increases the amount of healing based on your missing Health.
Coagulating Blood is the superior morph in most situations. Instead of healing 33% of your missing health, it restores 12.9% of your Max Stamina or Magicka plus 136% of your Weapon or Spell Damage, scaling up to 50% more based on missing health. This makes it both stronger and more reliable. Green Dragon Blood, on the other hand, heals based on missing health, which is ineffective against healing absorb mechanics. When you're at full HP, Green Dragon Blood can’t outheal these mechanics, leaving you without a reliable heal.
Protective Scale
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Duration:
6 seconds
Flex your scales, reducing your damage taken from projectiles by 50% for 6 seconds.
Protective Scale reduces damage from projectiles by 50% for 6 seconds. While it has strong potential, it’s situational and not ideal for most encounters. It’s outclassed by 
Defensive Stance against single, powerful projectiles, and by 
Mist Form if you’re a Vampire. However, it’s the best option when facing a constant stream of projectiles.
Protective Plate
Cost:
3510 Magicka
Duration:
6 seconds
Flex your scales, reducing damage taken from projectiles by 50% for 6 seconds. Gain immunity to snares and immobilizations for 4 seconds.
New Effect
Gain immunity to snares and immobilizations. Cost reduces as ability ranks up.
The 
Protective Plate morph grants immunity to snares and immobilizations for 4 seconds and slightly reduces the ability’s cost, making it the better choice in most situations.
Dragon Fire Scale
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Duration:
6 seconds
Flex your scales, reducing damage taken from projectiles by 50% for 6 seconds. When you are hit with a projectile, you retaliate by launching a fiery orb at the attacker that deals 1799 Flame Damage. This effect can occur once every half second.
New Effect
Incoming projectiles cause you to deal Flame Damage back to the attacker.
Dragon Fire Scale morph hurls fiery orbs back at attackers, dealing minor damage up to once every half second. While it won’t deal significant damage with your tank stats, it can be useful if you don’t need the snare immunity from the other morph and can manage the slightly higher cost. However, if you’re unsure, the Protective Plate morph is the safer choice.
Inhale
Cost:
3510 Magicka
Radius:
8 meters
Channel draconic energy to suck in the air around you, dealing 870 Flame Damage to nearby enemies and healing you for 100% of the damage caused. After 2.5 seconds, you exhale fire, dealing 1742 Flame Damage to nearby enemies.
Inhale deals flame damage to all enemies within an 8-meter radius and heals you for 100% of the damage done. If you hit any enemies, you’ll explode again after 2.5 seconds, dealing twice the damage, though this second explosion doesn’t heal you.
Deep Breath
Cost:
3510 Magicka
Radius:
8 meters
Channel draconic energy to suck in the air around you, dealing 870 Flame Damage to nearby enemies and healing you for 100% of the damage caused. Any enemy hit that is casting is interrupted, set Off Balance, and stunned for 2 seconds. After 2.5 seconds, you exhale fire, dealing 2249 Flame Damage to nearby enemies.
New Effect
Initial hit interrupts enemies that are casting. Final explosion damage increased.
Deep Breath makes the first part of the ability interrupt all enemies and increases the damage of the second part. It’s very useful in encounters with multiple enemies that require interrupts, such as trash packs in Infinite Archive, but it’s situational and not essential for most fights.
Draw Essence
Cost:
3510 Magicka
Radius:
8 meters
Channel draconic energy to suck in the air around you, dealing 870 Flame Damage to nearby enemies and healing you for 150% of the damage caused. After 2.5 seconds, you exhale fire, dealing 1742 Flame Damage to nearby enemies and restoring 10% of the ability's cost for each enemy hit as Magicka.
New Effect
Initial hit heals for more. Final explosion refunds Magicka for each enemy struck.
Draw Essence increases the healing from the first part of the skill, healing for 150% of the damage done instead of 100%. It also restores 10% of the ability’s cost for each enemy hit by the second part – the explosion. As a tank, you’re less concerned with the damage you’re doing, which is why Deep Breath's higher damage output is less relevant. Instead, Draw Essence offers 50% more healing and better sustain, but at the cost of not interrupting enemies. It’s a good self-heal option in fights with multiple enemies where the interrupt from Deep Breath isn’t necessary.
Dragon Leap
Cost:
125 Ultimate
Maximum Range:
22 meters
Radius:
8 meters
Launch yourself at an enemy, dealing 4241 Physical Damage to all enemies in the area, knocking them back 4 meters, and stunning them for 2 seconds.
Ferocious Leap
Cost:
125 Ultimate
Maximum Range:
22 meters
Radius:
8 meters
Launch yourself at an enemy, dealing 4241 Flame Damage to all enemies in the area, knocking them back, and stunning them for 2 seconds. After leaping you gain a damage shield that absorbs 16528 damage for 6 seconds. This portion of the ability scales with your Max Health.
New Effect
Deals Flame Damage. After leaping you gain a damage shield.
Take Flight
Cost:
110 Ultimate
Maximum Range:
28 meters
Radius:
8 meters
Launch yourself at an enemy, dealing 5037 Physical Damage to all enemies in the area, knocking them back, and stunning them for 2 seconds.
New Effect
Reduces the cost and increases the damage and range.
Iron Skin
Increases the amount of damage you block by 10%.
Iron Skin increases your block mitigation by 10%. On its own, this may not seem significant, but when combined with other block mitigation bonuses available to all classes, it can make a massive difference. For example, with all bonuses applied, you'll reach 82% block mitigation, meaning you only take 18% of the damage you would otherwise. Adding Iron Skin increases this to 87%, reducing damage from blocked hits by about 28% compared to classes like Arcanists or Necromancers with similar builds.
Burning Heart
While a Draconic Power ability is active, your healing received is increased by 12%.
Burning Heart increases your healing received by 12% while any Draconic Power ability is active. You don’t need to actively manage it, as it should always be up thanks to Hardened Armor and Coagulating Blood.
Elder Dragon
Increases your Health Recovery by 258 for each Draconic Power ability slotted.
Elder Dragon increases your health recovery by 258 for each Draconic Power ability slotted. While Health Recovery is generally a less impactful stat, especially for Vampires, it still provides free healing, no matter how small.
Scaled Armor
Increases your Physical and Spell Resistance by 1650.
Scaled Armor increases your armor by 1,650, which translates to about 2.5% damage mitigation at 0 armor. However, due to armor's increasing returns, it provides closer to 4.75% mitigation when you have around 30,000 armor. Reaching the armor cap of 33,000 is crucial for tougher fights, making this passive valuable for allowing flexibility in other areas of your build.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Stonefist
Cost:
2295 Stamina
Cast time:
0.6 seconds
Crush the earth beneath you, dealing 2323 Physical Damage to all enemies within 6 meters of you. Debris ripped from the ground is held around you for 10 seconds. Activating the ability again allows you to launch part of the debris at an enemy, dealing 2323 Physical Damage, up to 3 times. The final cast stuns enemies hit for 2.5 seconds.
The first skill is 
Stonefist, a simple damaging ability. Its importance lies in its morphs, so let’s move straight to those to explain its utility.
Stone Giant
Cost:
2295 Stamina
Cast time:
0.6 seconds
Crush the earth beneath you, dealing 2323 Physical Damage to all enemies within 6 meters of you. Debris ripped from the ground is held around you for 10 seconds. Activating the ability again allows you to launch part of the debris at an enemy, dealing 2323 Physical Damage, up to 3 times. The final cast stuns for 2.5 seconds. Each hit applies Stagger, increasing damage taken by 65 per stack for 5 seconds.
New Effect
Enemies hit are affected with Stagger, causing them to take bonus damage from all attacks.
Stone Giant is the signature ability for Dragonknight tanks, applying the Stagger debuff, which increases enemy damage taken by 65 per stack, up to 3 stacks. This adds 195 extra damage per instance of damage, providing a massive boost in group content where damage dealers have multiple DoTs ticking on the boss. The first cast is a stomp with a 0.6-second cast time, causing you to drop block, so timing is crucial to avoid heavy attacks. The next three casts within 12 seconds are single-target projectiles with a 28-meter range, cast instantly and safely.
Obsidian Shard
Cost:
4050 Magicka
Range:
28 meters
Slam an enemy with molten rock, dealing 448 Flame Damage and causing the rock to explode, splashing magma around. You then pull back on the magma to heal yourself or up to 2 allies near the enemy for 3240 Health.
New Effect
Converts to a Magicka ability that now heals you or two allies after dealing damage. Deals significantly less damage but no longer requires charges to cast.
The 
Obsidian Shard morph completely changes the ability. It costs magicka instead of stamina, deals significantly less damage, doesn’t apply Stagger, and removes the stomp effect. Instead, it heals you or up to two allies for a solid amount. While this makes it a strong healing option in 4-man content without a dedicated healer, it’s rarely used since it competes with the more impactful Stone Giant morph.
Molten Weapons
Cost:
4320 Magicka
Duration:
30 seconds
Radius:
28 meters
Charge you and your grouped allies' weapons with volcanic power to gain Major Brutality and Sorcery, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 20% for 30 seconds.
Molten Weapons grants all allies within a 28-meter radius Major Brutality and Major Sorcery for 36 seconds, boosting weapon and spell damage by 20%. While these buffs are essential for damage dealers, this skill is just one of many sources. In most cases, it won’t be needed since teammates typically gain these buffs from Weapon Power or Spell Power potions. However, using Molten Weapons to provide Major Brutality frees teammates to use other potions, like Tri-Stat or Heroism potions, for additional sustain or ulti-gen.
Igneous Weapons
Cost:
4320 Magicka
Duration:
60 seconds
Radius:
36 meters
Charge you and your grouped allies' weapons with volcanic power to gain Major Brutality and Sorcery, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 20% for 1 minute.
New Effect
Increases the duration and increases the radius.
The 
Igneous Weapons morph doubles the duration of Major Brutality and Major Sorcery to 72 seconds, making it the superior choice for tanks, as the alternative morph offers no useful benefits. The extended duration also allows PC players with skill-swapping addons to prebuff this ability before a fight and then swap it out for another skill.
Molten Armaments
Cost:
4050 Magicka
Duration:
30 seconds
Radius:
28 meters
Charge you and your grouped allies' weapons with volcanic power to gain Major Brutality and Sorcery, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 20% for 30 seconds. You also gain Empower for the duration, increasing the damage of your Heavy Attacks against monsters by 70%.
New Effect
You also gain Empower, and reduces the cost as the ability ranks up.
The 
Molten Armaments morph increases the damage of your heavy attacks, which is far less valuable for a tank compared to the extended buff duration provided by the Igneous Weapons morph.
Obsidian Shield
Cost:
4050 Magicka
Duration:
6.667 seconds
Call the earth to your defense, granting a damage shield for you and nearby allies that absorbs 1321 damage. This portion of the ability scales off your Max Health. You also gain Major Mending, increasing your healing done by 16% for 2.5 seconds.
Obsidian Shield grants a damage shield to you and up to six allies within 12 meters, equal to 8% of your maximum health, and provides Major Mending for 3 seconds, boosting your healing done by 16%. While it might seem situational, this skill is a staple for Dragonknight tanks in most fights due to its synergy with the 
Helping Hands passive, which restores stamina whenever an Earthen Heart ability is cast.
Igneous Shield
Cost:
4050 Magicka
Duration:
6.667 seconds
Call the earth to your defense, granting a damage shield for nearby allies that absorbs 1365 damage. Your own damage shield absorbs 3414 damage. This portion of the ability scales off your Max Health. You also gain Major Mending, increasing your healing done by 16% for 2.5 seconds.
New Effect
Increased shield strength on self.
The 
Igneous Shield morph increases the damage shield on yourself from 8% to 20% of your maximum health, making it the stronger choice for most situations.
Fragmented Shield
Cost:
4050 Magicka
Duration:
6.667 seconds
Call the earth to your defense, creating a damage shield for you and nearby allies that absorbs 1365 damage. This portion of the ability scales off your Max Health. You also gain Major Mending, increasing your healing done by 16% for 6.7 seconds.
New Effect
Increases duration of Major Mending.
The 
Fragmented Shield morph extends the duration of Major Mending from 3 seconds to 8 seconds. However, this increased duration is typically less valuable than the stronger damage shield provided by the Igneous Shield morph.
Petrify
Cost:
4050 Magicka
Duration:
2.5 seconds
Encase an enemy in molten rock, stunning them for 2.5 seconds. When the stun ends, they take 1161 Flame Damage. This stun cannot be blocked or dodged.
Fossilize
Cost:
4050 Magicka
Duration:
2.5 seconds
Encase an enemy in molten rock, stunning them for 2.5 seconds. When the stun ends, they take 1199 Flame Damage and are immobilized for 3 seconds. This stun cannot be blocked or dodged.
New Effect
Immobilizes the enemy after the stun ends.
Shattering Rocks
Cost:
4050 Magicka
Duration:
2.5 seconds
Encase an enemy in molten rock, stunning them for 2.5 seconds. When the stun ends, they take 1199 Flame Damage and you are healed for 2323 Health. This stun cannot be blocked or dodged.
New Effect
When the stun ends, you are also healed.
Ash Cloud
Cost:
351 Magicka per second
Duration:
15 seconds
Summon a scorching cloud of ash at the target location for 15 seconds, reducing enemy Movement Speed by 70% and healing you and your allies for 434 Health every 1 second.
Ash Cloud creates a small AoE on the ground that heals you and your allies for 1.9% of your max stamina or magicka, plus 19.7% of your weapon or spell damage every second, while also slowing enemies by 70%. The skill drains 351 magicka per second, but with Reduce Magicka Cost or Reduce Tri-Cost enchants, the cost is reduced to 0, making it always free to use.
Cinder Storm
Cost:
351 Magicka per second
Duration:
15 seconds
Summon a scorching cloud of ash at the target location for 15 seconds, reducing enemy Movement Speed by 70% and healing you and your allies for 674 every 1 second.
New Effect
Heals for significantly more.
The 
Cinder Storm morph increases the healing to 2.9% of your max stamina or magicka, plus 30.5% of your weapon or spell damage, making it about 50% stronger than the base morph. This makes Cinder Storm the better choice.
Eruption
Cost:
351 Magicka per second
Duration:
15 seconds
Summon a scorching cloud of ash at the target location for 15 seconds, dealing 1799 Flame Damage immediately, reducing enemy Movement Speed by 70%, and dealing 319 Flame Damage in the area every 1 second. The eruptive damage can occur once every 10 seconds.
New Effect
Damages instead of healing. Deals some damage instantly and reduces the cost.
The 
Eruption morph changes this ability to deal damage instead of healing, making it unsuitable for a tank.
Magma Armor
Cost:
200 Ultimate
Duration:
10 seconds
Ignite the molten lava in your veins, limiting incoming damage to 3% of your Max Health and dealing 336 Flame Damage to nearby enemies each second for 10 seconds.
Magma Armor caps the damage of every hit you take to 3% of your max health, effectively making you immortal for 12 seconds. While this is overpowered, you'll generally want to spend your ultimate points on group buffs, such as 
Aggressive Horn. However, Magma Armor can serve as a valuable emergency ultimate if things go wrong. When paired with CC immunity, such as Immovable potions or the 
Immovable skill, it allows you to safely resurrect teammates and recover from situations that would otherwise lead to a wipe.
Magma Shell
Cost:
200 Ultimate
Duration:
10 seconds
Ignite the molten lava in your veins, limiting incoming damage to 3% of your Max Health and dealing 347 Flame Damage to nearby enemies each second for 10 seconds. When activated, nearby allies gain a damage shield for 100% of their Max Health for 10 seconds.
New Effect
When activated nearby allies gain a powerful damage shield.
The 
Magma Shell morph additionally grants your teammates within 8 meters a damage shield equal to 100% of their maximum health for 10 seconds. This makes it the preferred morph, as it provides significant team utility in addition to your own survival.
Corrosive Armor
Cost:
200 Ultimate
Duration:
10 seconds
Oxidize the green Dragon blood in your veins, limiting incoming damage to 3% of your Max Health and dealing 347 Poison Damage to nearby enemies each second for 10 seconds. While active, this ability and your direct damage attacks ignore enemy Physical and Spell Resistance, but you cannot generate Ultimate.
New Effect
Deals Poison Damage. While active, your direct attacks ignore Physical and Spell Resistance, but you cannot generate Ultimate.
The 
Corrosive Armor morph grants you the ability to ignore all armor during its duration. However, due to its overpowered nature in PvP, ZOS added a limitation: you cannot generate ultimate while Corrosive Armor is active. As a result, it is not suitable for PvE tanking, and the other morph is the only viable choice.
Eternal Mountain
Increases duration of your Earthen Heart abilities by 20%.
Eternal Mountain increases the duration of your Earthen Heart abilities by 20%. This has already been accounted for in my previous descriptions. For instance, when I mentioned that Igneous Weapons grants Major Brutality and Sorcery for 72 seconds, that’s with Eternal Mountain factored in, as the base duration is 60 seconds.
Battle Roar
When you cast an Ultimate ability, you restore 50 Health 50 Magicka, and 50 Stamina for each point of the Ultimate spent.
Battle Roar restores 50 health, stamina, and magicka per ultimate point spent whenever you use an ultimate ability. This is a great sustain boost for tanks, especially since you’ll typically have increased ultimate generation from sources like the Decisive weapon trait or the Nord’s 
Stalwart racial, allowing you to get even more value out of it.
Mountain's Blessing
When you cast an Earthen Heart ability, you and your group gain Minor Brutality for 20 seconds, increasing your Weapon Damage by 10%. If you are in combat, you also generate 3 Ultimate. This effect can occur once every 6 seconds.
Mountain’s Blessing has two parts. The first grants Minor Brutality to you and your allies for 20 seconds when you use an Earthen Heart ability, increasing weapon damage by 10%. It’s the only reliable source of this buff, and with Igneous Shield used frequently, you’ll usually maintain it without thinking.
The second part provides 3 ultimate when you use an Earthen Heart ability, up to once every 6 seconds. This boosts your ultimate generation, and between Stone Giant and Igneous Shield, you’ll easily trigger it on cooldown.
Helping Hands
When you cast an Earthen Heart ability with a cost, you restore 1120 Stamina. This effect cannot activate when using a Stamina costing ability and must cost more than the restored value.
Helping Hands restores 1120 stamina whenever you use an Earthen Heart ability that costs at least 1120 magicka. This means that abilities like Stone Giant and Cinder Storm won’t trigger it, but you’ll be activating it frequently with Igneous Shield and occasionally with Igneous Weapons. This passive significantly improves stamina sustain and is one of the reasons Dragonknights are considered beginner-friendly for tanking.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Lava Whip
Cost:
2295 Magicka
Range:
7 meters
Lash an enemy with flame, dealing 2323 Flame Damage. If you strike an enemy that is immobile or stunned, you set them Off Balance.
Lava Whip is just a simple spammable but one of its morphs has a very niche use case.
Molten Whip
Cost:
1148 Magicka and 1148 Stamina
Range:
7 meters
Lash an enemy with flame, dealing 2323 Flame Damage. If you strike an enemy that is immobile or stunned, you set them Off Balance. Whenever you activate a different Ardent Flame ability while in combat, you gain a stack of Seething Fury, increasing the damage of your next 
Molten Whip by 20% and your Weapon and Spell Damage by 100 for 15 seconds. This effect stacks up to 3 times.
New Effect
Splits the cost between Magicka and Stamina. While slotted, your other Ardent Flame abilities increase the damage of your next Molten Whip cast and Weapon and Spell Damage.
Molten Whip grants up to 300 bonus weapon and spell damage after using other Ardent Flame abilities. This means you can slot it on your backbar even if you don't intend to actively use it. The bonus weapon and spell damage can enhance the strength of your heals and, more importantly, help you reach the required weapon and spell damage threshold for the 
Engulfing Flames ability.
Flame Lash
Cost:
2295 Magicka
Range:
7 meters
Lash an enemy with flame, dealing 2323 Flame Damage. If you strike an enemy that is immobilized or stunned, you set them Off Balance. Targeting an Off Balance or immobilized enemy changes this ability into Power Lash, allowing you to lash an enemy at half cost to deal 2760 Flame Damage and healing you for 2760 Health.
New Effect
Targeting Off Balance or Immobilized enemies grants you a more powerful attack which deals increased damage, costs half as much, and heals you.
Searing Strike
Cost:
2970 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Slash an enemy with flame, dealing 1161 Flame Damage and an additional 3470 Flame Damage over 20 seconds. Enemies hit by the initial hit are afflicted with the Burning status effect.
Searing Strike applies a 24-second damage-over-time (DoT) effect to an enemy, dealing flame damage. The initial hit also applies the Burning status effect, which triggers the 
Combustion passive. This passive restores Magicka and Stamina, effectively reducing the overall cost of using this ability.
Burning Embers
Cost:
2970 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Slash an enemy with flame, dealing 1161 Flame Damage and an additional 3470 Flame Damage over 20 seconds. You heal for 100% of the damage done with this ability. Enemies hit by the initial hit are afflicted with the Burning status effect.
New Effect
Heals you for a percentage of damage done.
The 
Burning Embers morph heals you for 100% of the damage dealt, which can be a useful source of healing in fights with multiple bosses. However, 
Structured Entropy is generally better in that situation, and it's usually difficult to fit both abilities into your loadout. The primary use of Burning Embers is to provide a consistent source of flame damage, which is crucial for proccing 
Encratis’s Behemoth, a monster set that increases your group’s flame damage dealt and reduces flame damage taken. To keep Encratis’s Behemoth active, you need a steady source of flame damage, and Burning Embers serves this role well.
Venomous Claw
Cost:
2525 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Rake an enemy with your claw, dealing 1161 Poison Damage and an additional 3470 Poison Damage over 20 seconds. The poison seeps into the target and deals increased damage the longer it lasts, dealing 12% more damage every 2 seconds. Enemies hit by the initial hit are afflicted with the Poisoned status effect.
New Effect
Converts into a Stamina ability and deals Poison Damage that applies the Poisoned status effect. The damage over time increases the longer the effect lasts.
Fiery Breath
Cost:
3510 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Exhale a flaming blast to enemies in front of you, dealing 1742 Flame Damage and an additional 2900 Flame Damage over 20 seconds.
Fiery Breath is a 24-second flame DoT applied in a cone in front of you.
Engulfing Flames
Cost:
3510 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Exhale a flaming blast to enemies in front of you, dealing 1799 Flame Damage and an additional 2980 Flame Damage over 20 seconds. Affected enemies take more damage from all Flame Damage attacks based on your Weapon or Spell Damage, and Max Magicka or Stamina, with a maximum of 6% bonus damage taken.
New Effect
Affected enemies take more damage from all Flame Damage attacks.
The Engulfing Flames morph increases enemies’ flame damage taken by up to 6%. This scales with your weapon and spell damage, and it reaches the 6% value when your combined weapon and spell damage are 9000. This is a value that’s a bit difficult to reach as a tank and you’d need to change your build a bit to reach it, but it isn’t really necessary, because optimized groups will always want a Dragonknight damage dealer to run the 
Z’en set and this damage dealer can use Engulfing Flames at its full strength. And in non-optimized groups you really shouldn’t care about bumping up your Engulfing Flames bonus from 5% to 6% by sacrificing survivability in other parts of your build.
Noxious Breath
Cost:
2984 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Exhale a corrosive blast to enemies in front of you, dealing 1799 Poison Damage and an additional 2980 Poison Damage over 20 seconds. Afflicts enemies with Major Breach, reducing their Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948.
New Effect
Converts into a Stamina ability and deals Poison Damage. Applies Major Breach to enemies, reducing their Resistances.
Noxious Breath turns the skill into a stamina ability that deals poison damage and applies Major Breach for 24 seconds. Major Breach is important, but there are better ways to apply it. For single target, 
Pierce Armor and 
Elemental Susceptibility work better. For AoE, 
Razor Caltrops is a stronger option, but since it’s from a PvP skill line, Noxious Breath can be a decent replacement if you haven’t ranked up Assault to level 6 yet.
Fiery Grip
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Range:
22 meters
Launch a fiery chain to grasp and pull an enemy to you, dealing 1392 Flame Damage and taunting them for 15 seconds if they are not already taunted. Hitting the target grants you Major Expedition, increasing your Movement Speed by 30% for 4 seconds. This attack cannot be dodged or reflected.
Fiery Grip pulls and taunts an enemy, granting Major Expedition for 4 seconds, increasing movement speed by 30%. It's key for grouping enemies in trash fights, but it gets outclassed by the Scribing alternative - Leashing Soul.
Unrelenting Grip
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Range:
22 meters
Launch a fiery chain to grasp and pull an enemy to you, dealing 1438 Flame Damage and taunting them for 15 seconds if they are not already taunted. Hitting the target grants you Major Expedition, increasing your Movement Speed by 30% for 4 seconds. If the target cannot be pulled, you restore 100% of the ability's cost as Magicka. This attack cannot be dodged or reflected.
New Effect
If the target cannot be pulled, you are refunded the Magicka cost.
The 
Unrelenting Grip morph refunds its entire cost if the enemy cannot be pulled (for example, if the target is too large or has been stunned or chained recently). This means you can use it as a free ranged taunt, since elite adds can never be chained. However, its range is 22 meters, shorter than proper taunts, which have a range of 28 meters and you can not get 100% uptime of taunt with this alone as you can only reapply taunt with it after it has already dropped off again.
Chains of Devastation
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Range:
22 meters
Launch a fiery chain to grasp and pull yourself to an enemy, dealing 1438 Flame Damage. Hitting the target grants you Major Expedition and Major Berserk, increasing your Movement Speed by 30% and your damage done by 10% for 4 seconds. This attack cannot be dodged or reflected.
New Effect
Pulls you to the enemy instead and no longer attempts to taunt. Grants Major Berserk after casting.
Inferno
Cost:
2160 Magicka
Duration:
15 seconds
Activate an aura of flames which launches a fireball at the nearest enemy every 5 seconds, dealing 1742 Flame Damage. While slotted on either bar, you gain Major Prophecy and Savagery, increasing your Spell and Weapon Critical rating by 2629.
Flames of Oblivion
Cost:
2160 Magicka
Duration:
15 seconds
Activate an aura of flames which launches a fireball at 3 enemies every 5 seconds, dealing 1799 Flame Damage. While slotted on either bar, you gain Major Prophecy and Savagery, increasing your Spell and Weapon Critical rating by 2629.
New Effect
Now launches three fireballs instead of one.
Cauterize
Cost:
3240 Magicka
Duration:
15 seconds
Activate an aura of embers which cauterizes the wounds of you or up to 4 nearby allies every 3 seconds, healing for 1199 Health. While slotted on either bar, you gain Major Prophecy and Savagery, increasing your Spell and Weapon Critical rating by 2629.
New Effect
Now heals allies instead of damaging enemies. Increases radius, target count, and tick frequency.
Dragonknight Standard
Cost:
250 Ultimate
Duration:
16 seconds
Call down a battle standard, dealing 870 Flame Damage every 1 second for 16 seconds to enemies and applying Major Defile to them, reducing their healing received and damage shield strength by 12%. An ally near the standard can activate the Shackle synergy, dealing 3375 Flame Damage to enemies in the area and immobilizing them for 5 seconds.
Shifting Standard
Cost:
225 Ultimate
Duration:
25 seconds
Call down a battle standard, dealing 898 Flame Damage every 1 second for 25 seconds to enemies and applying Major Defile to them, reducing their healing received and damage shield strength by 12%. Activating this ability again allows you to move the standard to your location. An ally near the standard can activate the Shackle synergy, dealing 3375 Flame Damage to enemies in the area and immobilizing them for 5 seconds.
New Effect
Increases the duration, and recasting the ability allows you to move the standard.
Standard of Might
Cost:
250 Ultimate
Duration:
16 seconds
Call down a battle standard, dealing 870 Flame Damage every 1 second for 16 seconds to enemies and applying Major Defile to them, reducing their healing received and damage shield strength by 12%. Standing in the area increases your damage done and reduces damage taken by 15%. An ally near the standard can activate the Shackle synergy, dealing 3375 Flame Damage to enemies in the area and immobilizing them for 5 seconds.
New Effect
Standing in the standard increases your damage done and reduces damage taken.
Combustion
Increases the damage of your Burning and Poisoned status effects by 40%. When you apply Burning or Poisoned to an enemy, you restore 1000 Magicka and Stamina. This effect can occur once every 3 seconds.
Combustion increases the damage of your Burning and Poisoned status effects by 33%. It also restores 1000 Stamina and Magicka when either Poisoned or Burning procs, with a 3-second cooldown. This passive is a solid sustain boost, and you'll frequently proc it with Elemental Susceptibility.
Warmth
When you deal direct damage with an Ardent Flame ability, you reduce the enemy's Movement Speed by 30% for 3 seconds.
Warmth slows enemies by 30% after being hit by an Ardent Flame ability. This is especially useful when chaining enemies with Unrelenting Grip, as it makes it harder for them to escape the stack. If you’ve unlocked Scribing and are using Leashing Soul instead of Unrelenting Grip, this effect becomes less important.
Searing Heat
Increases the damage over time of your Fiery Breath, Searing Strike, and 
Dragonknight Standard abilities by 25% and the duration by 4 seconds.
Searing Heat boosts the damage over time of Fiery Breath, Searing Strike, and Dragonknight Standard by 25% while also increasing their duration by 4 seconds. This has already been accounted for in the descriptions of those abilities. For example, Fiery Breath and Searing Strike have a 20-second duration at base, but with this passive, they last 24 seconds.
World in Ruin
Increases the damage of your Flame and Poison attacks by 5%.
World in Ruin increases your Flame and Poison damage by 5%. If you're tight on skill points, you can skip it temporarily, as it's not crucial for tanking.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Puncture
Cost:
1350 Stamina
Range:
7 meters
Thrust your weapon with disciplined precision at an enemy, dealing 1161 Physical Damage and taunting them to attack you for 15 seconds. Also inflicts Major Breach on the enemy, reducing their Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948 for 15 seconds.
Puncture is a melee taunt that damages your target within 7 meters, causes them to attack you, and applies Major Breach, reducing enemy armor by 5948 for 15 seconds, providing around a 13% damage increase. This debuff is essential. Puncture isn't always needed, but you always need a source of Major Breach, like Elemental Susceptibility. Additionally, using the 
Puncturing Remedy set can cause your Puncture to heal you.
Pierce Armor
Cost:
1350 Stamina
Range:
7 meters
Thrust your weapon with disciplined precision at an enemy, dealing 1199 Physical Damage and taunting them to attack you for 15 seconds. Also inflicts Minor Breach and Major Breach on the enemy, reducing their Physical Resistance and Spell Resistance by 2974 and 5948 for 15 seconds.
New Effect
Also inflicts Minor Breach, further reducing the enemy's Resistances.
The morph you want to use here is Pierce Armor, which provides Minor Breach in addition to Major Breach. This reduces enemies' armor by 2974, further increasing the group's damage against them.
Ransack
Cost:
1350 Stamina
Range:
7 meters
Thrust your weapon with disciplined precision at an enemy, dealing 1199 Physical Damage and taunting them to attack you for 15 seconds. Also inflicts Major Breach on the enemy, reducing their Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948 for 15 seconds. You also gain Minor Protection, reducing your damage taken by 5% for 15 seconds.
New Effect
You also gain Minor Protection, reducing your damage taken.
Minor Protection is important but it can be obtained from multiple other sources, such as the 
Temporal Guard ultimate.
Low Slash
Cost:
2970 Stamina
Range:
7 meters
Surprise an enemy with a deep lunge, dealing 1392 Physical Damage and afflicting them with Minor Maim, reducing their damage done by 5% for 15 seconds.
Low Slash provides Minor Maim, which can be easily obtained from other sources, so it's not particularly useful.
Heroic Slash
Cost:
2970 Stamina
Range:
7 meters
Surprise an enemy with a deep lunge, dealing 1438 Physical Damage and afflicting them with Minor Maim, reducing their damage done by 5% for 15 seconds. You gain Minor Heroism, granting you 1 Ultimate every 1.5 seconds for 15 seconds.
New Effect
You gain Minor Heroism, increasing your Ultimate generation.
Heroic Slash applies Minor Maim and provides Minor Heroism, granting 10 Ultimate per cast for 15 seconds. While this can be useful, in most situations you won't have the bar space to slot it.
Deep Slash
Cost:
2970 Stamina
Range:
7 meters
Surprise an enemy with a sweeping lunge, dealing 1799 Physical Damage to them and other nearby enemies, afflicting them with Minor Maim, reducing their damage done by 5% for 15 seconds. Enemies hit also have their Movement Speed reduced by 30% for 4 seconds.
New Effect
Increases the damage dealt. Now hits all targets near the initial enemy hit, and snares them.
Defensive Posture
Cost:
4320 Stamina
Duration:
6 seconds
Bolster your defenses, gaining a damage shield that absorbs up to 4958 damage for 6 seconds. This portion of the ability scales off your Max Health. You reflect the next harmful direct damage projectile cast at you. This effect can occur once per cast.
Defensive Posture grants a 31% max health damage shield for 6 seconds and reflects one projectile that would hit you. It's especially useful in encounters like Lokkestiiz, where you can reflect his Frostbolts from range, and in the Infinite Archive against Daedroths, where reflecting their firebolts one-shots them. This skill can be a game-changer in specific fights, making it a valuable tool for your toolkit.
Defensive Stance
Cost:
4320 Stamina
Duration:
6 seconds
Bolster your defenses, gaining a damage shield that absorbs up to 4958 damage for 6 seconds. This portion of the ability scales off your Max Health. You reflect the next harmful direct damage projectile cast at you, once per cast. While slotted and you have a shield equipped, the amount of damage you can block is increased by 10% and the cost of blocking is reduced by 10%.
New Effect
While slotted and with a shield equipped, you reduce the cost of block and increase the amount of damage you can block.
Defensive Stance is the better morph, reducing the cost of your block and increasing your block mitigation by 10%. It’s crucial for fights with lots of blockable direct damage, providing both better sustain and increased survivability.
Absorb Missile
Cost:
4320 Stamina
Duration:
6 seconds
Bolster your defenses, gaining a damage shield that absorbs up to 4958 damage for 6 seconds. While the shield persists, you are healed for 2560 Health the next time a harmful direct damage projectile hits you. This effect can occur once per cast. This ability scales off your Max Health.
New Effect
Projectiles that are absorbed by the damage shield heal you, rather than reflect.
Shield Charge
Cost:
3780 Stamina
Range:
22 meters
Rush an enemy and ram them, dealing 1392 Physical Damage and stunning them for 3 seconds.
Invasion
Cost:
3510 Stamina
Range:
22 meters
Rush an enemy and ram them, dealing 1393 Physical Damage and stunning them for 4 seconds. Stuns up to 50% longer based on the distance traveled.
New Effect
Stuns longer based on the distance traveled. Reduces the cost.
Shielded Assault
Cost:
3780 Stamina
Range:
22 meters
Rush an enemy and ram them, dealing 1393 Physical Damage and stunning them for 3 seconds. You gain a damage shield after the attack, absorbing 5121 damage for 6 seconds. This portion of the ability scales off your Max Health.
New Effect
Gain a damage shield after the attack.
Power Bash
Cost:
2700 Stamina
Range:
7 meters
Strike an enemy full-force with your shield, dealing 2323 Physical Damage. This ability's damage is considered Bash damage and interrupts the enemy if they are casting.
Power Bash is mainly used to proc the 
Void Bash 2-piece set, which pulls enemies to you and applies Major Maim, reducing their damage done by 10% for 10 seconds. This set is helpful in trash fights for stacking enemies quickly. The morph choice doesn't matter, and it's fine to leave the ability unmorphed if you don't plan on using it outside of Void Bash.
Power Slam
Cost:
2700 Stamina
Range:
7 meters
Strike an enemy full-force with your shield, dealing 2399 Physical Damage. While slotted, blocking any attack grants you Resentment, which reduces the cost of your next Power Slam cast within 10 seconds by 50%. This ability's damage is considered Bash damage and interrupts the enemy if they are casting.
New Effect
Blocking any attack reduces the cost of your next Power Slam.
Reverberating Bash
Cost:
2700 Stamina
Range:
7 meters
Strike an enemy full-force with your shield, dealing 1161 Physical Damage and stunning them for 3 seconds. After the stun ends, the enemy takes an additional 1161 Physical Damage. This ability's damage is considered Bash damage and interrupts the enemy if they are casting.
New Effect
Initial damage is halved, but stuns the target. After the stun ends, the enemy takes the damage again.
Shield Wall
Cost:
135 Ultimate
Duration:
6 seconds
Reinforce your shield, allowing you to automatically block all attacks at no cost for 6 seconds.
Shield Discipline
Cost:
135 Ultimate
Duration:
8 seconds
Reinforce your shield, allowing you to automatically block all attacks at no cost for 8 seconds. Your One Hand and Shield non-Ultimate abilities cost nothing while this effect persists.
New Effect
Your One Hand and Shield abilities cost nothing while active.
Spell Wall
Cost:
135 Ultimate
Duration:
7 seconds
Reinforce your shield, allowing you to automatically block all attacks at no cost and reflect all projectiles cast at you for 7 seconds.
New Effect
You also reflect all projectiles cast at you.
Fortress
Reduces the Stamina cost of your One Hand and Shield abilities by 15% and reduces the cost of blocking by 36%.
Fortress reduces the stamina cost of One Hand and Shield abilities by 15% and blocks cost by 36%, which provides a significant stamina management boost.
Sword and Board
Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by 5% and the amount of damage you can block by 20%.
Sword and Board increases your weapon and spell damage by 5%, boosting your healing, and raises your block mitigation by 20%.
Deadly Bash
Improves your standard Bash attacks, causing them to deal 500 more damage and cost 50% less Stamina.
Deadly Bash increases your bash damage by 500 and reduces their cost by 50%. It's a nice bonus but low priority, so you can skip it if you're short on skill points.
Deflect Bolts
Increases the amount of damage you can block from projectiles and ranged attacks by 14%.
Deflect Bolts grants 14% additional block mitigation, but only against projectiles.
Battlefield Mobility
Reduces the Movement Speed penalty of Bracing. Current penalty: 36%
Battlefield Mobility reduces the movement speed penalty of blocking by 40%, allowing you to move faster than if you were blocking with a different weapon type.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Force Shock
Cost:
2700 Magicka
Range:
28 meters
Focus all the elemental energies with your staff and blast an enemy for 695 Flame Damage 695 Frost Damage, and 695 Shock Damage.
Crushing Shock
Cost:
2430 Magicka
Range:
28 meters
Focus all the elemental energies with your staff and blast an enemy for 696 Flame Damage 696 Frost Damage, and 696 Shock Damage. Enemies hit while casting are interrupted, set Off Balance, and stunned for 3 seconds.
New Effect
Interrupts spells, putting the caster Off Balance. Reduces cost as ability ranks up.
Crushing Shock will be essential in some fights. This is because Crushing Shock can be used as a ranged interrupt, interrupting enemies who are channeling their abilities just like a bash, except it has a 28 meter range. This will be incredibly helpful in fights where the enemy is channeling mechanics from far away and you need to interrupt them quickly.
Force Pulse
Cost:
2700 Magicka
Range:
28 meters
Focus all the elemental energies with your staff and blast an enemy for 696 Flame Damage 696 Frost Damage, and 696 Shock Damage. Up to 2 nearby enemies will take 2399 Magic Damage if they were already afflicted with a status effect.
New Effect
Damages nearby enemies if they are under the effects of a status effect.
Wall of Elements
Cost:
2970 Magicka
Duration:
10 seconds
Slam your staff down to create an elemental barrier in front of you, dealing 280 Magic Damage to enemies in the target area every 1 second. Wall of Fire deals additional damage to Burning enemies. Wall of Frost costs more, but snares and reduces armor against Chilled enemies and grants damage shields. Wall of Storms sets Concussed enemies Off Balance.
Wall of Elements is absolutely essential, and you’ll always want to have it in your skill setup. It places an AoE in front of you for 10 seconds, dealing a small amount of damage, granting your allies a damage shield against projectiles, and applying 40% slow and Minor Breach for 4 seconds to enemies that are Chilled. Minor Breach provides 2974 penetration, and combined with Chilled procs from Elemental Susceptibility, it will maintain 100% uptime on Minor Breach. The main reason you’ll need Wall of Elements in every skill setup is that every weapon skill applies enchantments of the weapon it’s being used with. You will want to use the Crusher enchantment on your ice staff, which, combined with the Infused weapon trait, will reduce your enemies' armor by 2108 for 5 seconds, with a 5-second cooldown. Since Wall of Elements ticks every second, it’ll constantly proc Crusher whenever it’s off cooldown, providing 100% uptime on that armor debuff.
Elemental Blockade
Cost:
2970 Magicka
Duration:
15 seconds
Slam your staff down to create an elemental barrier in front of you, dealing 281 Magic Damage to enemies in the target area every 1 second. Blockade of Fire deals additional damage to Burning enemies. Blockade of Frost costs more, but snares and reduces armor against Chilled enemies and grants damage shields. Blockade of Storms sets Concussed enemies Off Balance.
New Effect
Increases the size and duration of the wall.
You’ll want to use the 
Elemental Blockade morph, which increases the size of the AoE and extends its duration from 10 to 15 seconds.
Unstable Wall of Elements
Cost:
2970 Magicka
Duration:
10 seconds
Create an unstable elemental barrier in front of you, dealing 281 Magic Damage to enemies in the target area every 1 second before exploding for an additional 1199 Magic Damage. Unstable Wall of Fire deals additional damage to Burning enemies. Unstable Wall of Frost costs more, but snares and reduces armor against Chilled enemies and grants damage shields. Unstable Wall of Storms sets Concussed enemies Off Balance.
New Effect
The wall explodes when it expires, dealing additional damage.
Unstable Wall of Elements also has its uses. It provides a damage shield when it expires, allowing you to spam it and constantly apply a decent shield against projectiles to your teammates. This can be useful in fights like the Blackrose Prison Arena or against the Necromancers in the Xoryn fight in Lucent Citadel.
Destructive Touch
Cost:
2970 Magicka
Range:
15 meters (28 with Ice Staff)
Devastate an enemy with an enhanced charge from your staff, dealing 1161 Magic Damage and an additional 3470 Magic Damage over 20 seconds. The initial hit always applies the element's status effect.
Destructive Clench
Cost:
2970 Magicka
Range:
15 meters (28 with Ice Staff)
Devastate an enemy with an enhanced charge from your staff, dealing 1161 Magic Damage. The initial hit always applies the element's status effect. Flame Clench also knocks the enemy back. Frost Clench deals less damage, has increased range, applies Major Maim, immobilizes, and taunts the enemy. Shock Clench converts the attack into an area of effect explosion.
New Effect
You gain a damage shield after casting.
Destructive Clench is a ranged taunt with a 28-meter range that applies the Chilled status effect. It also applies Minor Maim for 4 seconds and Minor Brittle for 4 seconds if you're wielding an ice staff. Minor Maim is easily obtained from other sources, while Minor Brittle can be useful if you don't have an Arcanist in your group casting 
Rune of the Colorless Pool. The key benefit of Destructive Clench, however, is that it applies Major Maim for 5 seconds, reducing enemy damage by 10%. This is a significant survivability boost for you and your team, and Destructive Clench is one of its best sources, second only to Shield Throw, which provides Major Maim for 10 seconds instead.
Destructive Reach
Cost:
2700 Magicka
Range:
28 meters
Devastate an enemy with an enhanced charge from your staff, dealing 1161 Magic Damage and an additional 3470 Magic Damage over 20 seconds. The initial hit always applies the element's status effect.
New Effect
Increases the range. Reduces the cost as the ability ranks up.
Weakness to Elements
Cost:
Free
Duration:
30 seconds
Send the elements to sap an enemy's defenses and afflict them with Major Breach for 30 seconds, reducing their Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948.
Weakness to Elements applies Major Breach to your enemy for 30 seconds, reducing their armor by 5948, providing a significant damage increase for your team.
Elemental Susceptibility
Cost:
Free
Duration:
30 seconds
Send the elements to sap an enemy's defenses and afflict them with Major Breach for 30 seconds, reducing their Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948. Every 7.5 seconds the enemy is afflicted with the Burning, Chilled, and Concussion status effect.
New Effect
Applies each elemental status effect periodically while active and increases the range.
Elemental Susceptibility is an excellent skill. It applies Major Breach and triggers Burning, Chilled, and Concussed status effects every 7.5 seconds. Burning procs Combustion, restoring 1000 Stamina and Magicka. Chilled ensures 100% uptime on Minor Breach from Elemental Blockade and procs Minor Brittle when on your Ice Staff bar. Concussed provides 53% uptime on Minor Vulnerability, increasing enemies' damage taken by 5%, and can trigger Off-Balance with Lightning Elemental Blockade, benefiting Damage Dealers using 
Exploiter. You can also recast this skill for free whenever you have nothing else to do to re-apply Minor Brittle for 4 seconds.
Elemental Drain
Cost:
Free
Duration:
60 seconds
Send the elements to sap an enemy's defenses and afflict them with Major Breach for 1 minute, reducing their Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948. Also applies Minor Magickasteal to the enemy for 1 minute, causing you and your allies to restore 168 Magicka every 1 second when damaging them.
New Effect
Also applies Minor Magickasteal to the enemy and greatly increases the duration.
Elemental Drain extends the duration of Major Breach to 60 seconds and applies Minor Magickasteal, restoring 168 magicka per second to you and your allies when attacking the affected enemy. While Minor Magickasteal is helpful, it's often covered passively by the Overcharged status effect from your Damage Dealers' magic damage.
Impulse
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Radius:
6 meters
Release a surge of elemental energy, dealing 1742 Magic Damage to nearby enemies. Fire Impulse hits Burning enemies with Impulse Afterburn, which deals more damage based on their missing Health. Frost Impulse also provides Minor Protection. Shock Impulse's damage increases based on the number of enemies hit.
Impulse causes an explosion around you, dealing frost damage and applying Minor Protection to your allies for 6 seconds, reducing their damage taken by 5%.
Pulsar
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Radius:
6 meters
Release a surge of elemental energy, dealing 1742 Magic Damage to nearby enemies and afflicting them with Minor Mangle, reducing their Max Health by 10% for 10 seconds. Flame Pulsar hits Burning enemies with Pulsar Afterburn, which deals more damage based on their missing Health. Frost Pulsar also provides Minor Protection. Storm Pulsar's damage increases based on the number of enemies hit.
New Effect
Applies Minor Mangle to non-boss enemies, reducing their Max Health. Triples the innate chance to apply the respective status effect.
Pulsar additionally inflicts Minor Mangle on small enemies, reducing their maximum health by 10%. This usually isn't that useful because it can only be applied to small enemies, who would have died in the AoEs regardless. However, the game isn't consistent, and sometimes you can Mangle bigger enemies like Bone Colossi or Gargoyles. Additionally, the Pulsar morph triples the chance to proc status effects. When combined with the Charged trait on your ice staff, you'll have a 69.75% chance to proc the Chilled status effect on every enemy around you. This, in turn, synergizes with your Elemental Blockade, as Chilled enemies inside it will be debuffed with Minor Breach, reducing their armor by 2974 and applying a 40% movement speed reduction.
Elemental Ring
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Range:
28 meters
Radius:
6 meters
Release a surge of elemental energy, dealing 1799 Magic Damage to enemies at the target location. Fire Ring hits Burning enemies with Ring Afterburn, which deals more damage based on their missing Health. Frost Ring also provides Minor Protection. Shock Ring's damage increases based on the number of enemies hit.
New Effect
Deals damage at a target location instead of around you.
Elemental Storm
Cost:
250 Ultimate
Duration:
7 seconds
Create a cataclysmic storm at the target location that builds for 2 seconds then lays waste to all enemies in the area, dealing 1742 Magic Damage every 1 second for 7 seconds.
Elemental Rage
Cost:
250 Ultimate
Duration:
7 seconds
Create a cataclysmic storm at the target location that builds for 2 seconds then lays waste to all enemies in the area, dealing 2249 Magic Damage every 1 second for 7 seconds. Fiery Rage increases the damage by 15%. Icy Rage immobilizes enemies hit for 3 seconds. Thunderous Rage increases the duration by 2 seconds.
New Effect
Increases the damage and gains a new effect depending on your staff type.
Eye of the Storm
Cost:
250 Ultimate
Duration:
7 seconds
Create a cataclysmic storm above you that builds for 2 seconds then lays waste to all enemies nearby, dealing 1799 Magic Damage every 1 second for 7 seconds.
New Effect
The storm is cast above you instead, and follows you wherever you move.
Tri Focus
Fully-charged Inferno Staff Heavy Attacks deal an additional 4480 Flame Damage over 20 seconds. Fully-charged Lightning Staff Heavy Attacks damage nearby enemies for 100% of the damage done. Fully-charged Ice Staff Heavy Attacks grant you a damage shield that absorbs 5280 damage. This effect scales off your Max Health. While an Ice Staff is equipped, blocking costs Magicka instead of Stamina.
The 
Tri Focus passive can be a detriment to your sustain. It causes heavy attacks to grant a damage shield and makes blocking cost magicka instead of stamina when wielding an ice staff. While the damage shield is useful, the downside is that blocking with Tri Focus halts magicka recovery instead of stamina recovery. Since most of your abilities rely on magicka, using Tri Focus can result in magicka shortages and leave you with nothing to spend your stamina on.
Penetrating Magic
Your Destruction Staff abilities ignore 2974 of the enemy's Spell Resistance.
The 
Penetrating Magic passive makes your Destruction Staff abilities ignore 2974 spell resistance, so it isn't essential for tanking.
Elemental Force
Increases your chance to apply status effects by 100%.
Elemental Force increases your chance to proc status effects by 100% and it’s crucial to have.
Ancient Knowledge
Inferno Staves increases your damage done with damage over time and Status Effects by 12%. Lightning Staves increases your damage done with direct damage and channeled effects by 12%. Equipping an Ice Staff reduces the cost of blocking by 36% and increases the amount of damage you block by 20%.
Ancient Knowledge reduces your block cost by 36% and increases your block mitigation by 20%, turning Ice Staff into a proper tanking weapon.
Destruction Expert
When you kill an enemy with a Destruction Staff ability, you restore 3600 Magicka. When you absorb damage using a Destruction Staff Damage Shield, you restore 1800 Magicka. This effect can occur once every 10 seconds.
Destruction Expert restores 3600 magicka when you get a killing blow with a Destruction staff ability, and 1800 magicka every 10 seconds when you absorb damage with a Destruction staff damage shield. While you won't be getting many killing blows as a tank, you'll restore magicka from the damage shields applied by Wall of Elements.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Unstoppable
Cost:
3213 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Intensify your physical presence to gain Major Resolve, increasing your Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948 for 20 seconds. Also grants you immunity to knockback and disabling effects for 6 seconds, but reduces your Movement Speed by 65% for the duration.
Immovable
Cost:
3213 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Intensify your physical presence to gain Major Resolve, increasing your Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948 for 23 seconds. Also grants you immunity to knockback and disabling effects for 6 seconds, but reduces your Movement Speed by 65% for the duration. Each piece of Heavy Armor worn increases the amount of damage you block and the potency of the snare by 5%.
New Effect
Each piece of Heavy Armor worn increases the amount of damage you can block, but also increases the snare strength. Increases duration of Major Resolve as the ability ranks up.
Immovable is critical for certain encounters, such as Xalvakka in Rockgrove or Archdruid Devyric in Earthen Root Enclave. Its Immovable morph grants 5% block mitigation and increases snare strength by 5% per heavy armor piece for 6 seconds, matching the duration of its crowd control immunity. This makes it ideal to activate just before a powerful blockable attack. However, using it with 7 heavy armor pieces will cause the snare strength to reach 100%, fully immobilizing you and preventing dodge rolls.
Unstoppable Brute
Cost:
2943 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Intensify your physical presence to gain Major Resolve, increasing your Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948 for 20 seconds. While this effect persists, each piece of Heavy Armor worn decreases the cost of Break Free by 5%. Also grants you immunity to knockback and disabling effects for 6 seconds, but reduces your Movement Speed by 65% for the duration.
New Effect
Decreases the cost as the ability ranks up. While active, each piece of Heavy Armor worn decreases the cost of Break Free.
Heavy Armor Bonuses
Each piece of Heavy Armor does the following:
Reduces damage taken from Martial attacks by 1%
Increases the amount of damage blocked by 1%
Increases damage done with Bash by 30
Reduces your damage taken while immune to crowd control by 1%
Heavy Armor Penalties
Each piece of Heavy Armor does the following:
Increases damage taken from Magical attacks by 1%
Reduces the Movement Speed bonus of Sprint by 1%
Increases the cost of Roll Dodge by 3%
Increases the size of your detection area while Sneaking by 10%
Resolve
Increases your Physical and Spell Resistance by 343 for each piece of Heavy Armor equipped.
Constitution
Increases your Health Recovery by 4% for each piece of Heavy Armor equipped. You restore 108 Magicka and Stamina when you take damage for each piece of Heavy Armor equipped. This effect can occur once every 4 seconds.
Juggernaut
Increases your Max Health by 2% for each piece of Heavy Armor equipped.
Revitalize
Increases the Magicka or Stamina your Heavy Attacks restore by 4% for each piece of Heavy Armor worn.
Rapid Mending
Increases your healing received by 1% for each piece of Heavy Armor worn.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Evasion
Cost:
3213 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Shroud yourself in mist to gain Major Evasion, reducing damage taken from area attacks by 20% for 20 seconds.
Elude
Cost:
3213 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Shroud yourself in mist to gain Major Evasion, reducing damage taken from area attacks by 20% for 20 seconds. While this effect is active, when you take damage from a direct area of effect attack you gain Major Expedition for 0 seconds, increasing your Movement Speed by 30%. Each piece of Medium Armor worn increases the duration of this ability.
New Effect
When you take area damage, you gain Major Expedition. Each piece of Medium Armor worn increases the duration of this ability.
Elude can be useful in certain encounters, such as off-tanking in Asylum Sanctorium. It grants Major Evasion, reducing AoE damage by 20%, and provides Major Expedition for 3 seconds when hit by a direct AoE attack, increasing your movement speed by 30%.
Shuffle
Cost:
2943 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Shroud yourself in mist to gain Major Evasion, decreasing damage taken from area attacks by 20% for 20 seconds. Each piece of Medium Armor worn removes and grants immunity to snares and immobilizations for 1 second.
New Effect
Each piece of Medium Armor worn removes and grants immunity to snares and immobilizations.
Medium Armor Bonuses
Each piece of Medium Armor does the following:
Reduces the cost of Sprint by 1%
Reduces the cost of Sneak by 5%
Reduces the cost of Block by 3%
Reduces damage taken from Area of Effect attacks by 2% for 2 seconds after you use Roll Dodge
Increases Movement Speed by 2% while immune to crowd control
Dexterity
Increases your Critical Damage and Healing done rating by 2% for every piece of Medium Armor equipped.
Wind Walker
Increases your Stamina Recovery by 4% per piece of Medium Armor equipped. Reduces the Stamina cost of your abilities by 2% per piece of Medium Armor equipped.
Improved Sneak
Reduces the cost of Sneak by 7% for each piece of Medium Armor equipped. Reduces the size of your detection area while Sneaking by 5% for each piece of Medium Armor equipped.
Agility
Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by 2% for each piece of Medium Armor worn.
Athletics
Increases the Movement Speed bonus of Sprint by 3% for each piece of Medium Armor equipped. Reduces the cost of Roll Dodge by 4% for each piece of Medium Armor equipped.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Annulment
Cost:
4590 Magicka
Duration:
6 seconds
Convert a portion of your Magicka into a protective ward, gaining a damage shield that absorbs 3718 damage for 6 seconds. Damage shield strength capped at 50% of your Max Health.
Dampen Magic
Cost:
4590 Magicka
Duration:
6 seconds
Convert a portion of your Magicka into a protective ward, gaining a damage shield that absorbs 3718 damage for 6 seconds. Damage shield strength capped at 60% of your Max Health. Each piece of Light Armor worn increases the amount of damage absorbed by 6%.
New Effect
Each piece of Light Armor worn increases damage absorbed. Increases shield cap value.
Harness Magicka
Cost:
4590 Magicka
Duration:
6 seconds
Convert a portion of your Magicka into a protective ward, gaining a damage shield that absorbs 3718 damage for 6 seconds. Damage shield strength capped at 50% of your Max Health. While active, whenever the shield absorbs damage, you restore 229 Magicka. Each piece of Light Armor worn increases the Magicka restored by 33%. This effect can occur up to 3 times.
New Effect
Restores Magicka whenever you absorb damage.
Light Armor Bonuses
Each piece of Light Armor does the following:
Reduces damage taken from Magical attacks by 1%
Reduces the cost of Roll Dodge by 3%
Reduces the Movement Speed penalty of Sneak by 5%
Reduces the cost of Break Free by 5%
Reduces the cost of Bash by 3%
Light Armor Penalties
Each piece of Light Armor does the following:
Increases damage taken from Martial attacks by 1%
Increases the cost of Block by 3%
Decreases damage done with Bash by 1%
Grace
Reduces the effectiveness of snares applied to you by 4% for each piece of Light Armor worn. Reduces the cost of Sprint by 3% for each piece of Light Armor worn.
Evocation
Increases your Magicka Recovery by 4% for each piece of Light Armor equipped. Reduces the Magicka cost of your abilities by 2% for each piece of Light Armor equipped.
Spell Warding
Increases your Spell Resistance by 726 for each piece of Light Armor equipped.
Prodigy
Increases your Weapon and Spell Critical rating by 219 for each piece of Light Armor equipped.
Concentration
Increases your Physical and Spell Penetration by 939 for each piece of Light Armor worn.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Silver Bolts
Cost:
2700 Stamina
Range:
28 meters
Fire a Dawnguard Vampire Hunter's crossbow bolt to strike an enemy, dealing 2090 Physical Damage.
Silver Leash
Cost:
3780 Stamina
Range:
22 meters
Fire a Dawnguard's crossbow hook to pull an enemy to you, dealing 1438 Physical Damage, taunting them for 15 seconds if they are not already taunted, and reducing their Movement Speed by 30% for 4 seconds.
New Effect
Decrease the range and damage, increases the cost, but pulls the enemy to you, attempts to taunt them, and snares them.
Silver Leash pulls an enemy toward you, snares them, and taunts them if they aren’t already taunted. While it's outclassed by Leashing Soul and Unrelenting Grip, it can still be useful in specific situations, like when facing a negate mechanic that disables Magicka abilities, making Silver Leash your only option.
Silver Shards
Cost:
2700 Stamina
Range:
28 meters
Radius:
5 meters
Fire an augmented Dawnguard Vampire Hunter's crossbow bolt to strike an enemy, dealing 2091 Physical Damage. Fires additional bolts at other enemies near the initial target for 22% less damage.
New Effect
Fires additional bolts at other enemies near the initial target for less damage.
Circle of Protection
Cost:
3780 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Radius:
5 meters
Brand the earth at your location with a rune of protection for 20 seconds. You and your allies in the area gain Minor Protection and Minor Endurance, reducing your damage taken by 5% and increasing your Stamina Recovery by 15%.
Ring of Preservation
Cost:
3780 Stamina
Duration:
10 seconds
Radius:
5 meters
Brand the earth at your location with a rune of protection for 10 seconds. You and your allies in the area gain Minor Protection and Minor Endurance, reducing damage taken by 5% and increasing Stamina Recovery by 15%, and are healed for 435 Health every 1 second.
New Effect
The rune now heals allies inside for the duration, but the rune lasts half as long.
The 
Ring of Preservation morph creates a circle on the ground for 10 seconds, healing you and your allies inside for 1.9% of your maximum stamina or magicka, plus 19.7% of your weapon or spell damage. Its primary use is similar to Cinder Storm, but Cinder Storm is about 50% stronger, lasts longer, and has no cost in this build. Because of this, Ring of Preservation rarely fits into your skill bar. However, if you can find space for it, it provides a nice additional heal over time.
Turn Evil
Cost:
3780 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Radius:
5 meters
Brand the earth at your location with a rune of protection for 20 seconds. You and your allies in the area gain Minor Protection and Minor Endurance, reducing your damage taken by 5% and increasing your Stamina Recovery by 15%. Upon activation, enemies in the area are feared for 4 seconds.
New Effect
Enemies in the initial area upon activation are feared.
Expert Hunter
Cost:
5130 Stamina
Duration:
5 seconds
Invoke your expertise in anatomy and enemy behavior to detect stealthed and invisible enemies around you for 5 seconds. Exposed enemies cannot return to stealth or invisibility for 4 seconds. While slotted you gain Major Savagery and Prophecy, increasing your Weapon and Spell Critical rating by 2629.
Camouflaged Hunter
Cost:
5130 Stamina
Duration:
5 seconds
Invoke your expertise in anatomy and enemy behavior to detect stealthed and invisible enemies around you for 5 seconds. Exposed enemies cannot return to stealth or invisibility for 4 seconds. While slotted you gain Major Savagery and Prophecy, increasing your Weapon and Spell Critical rating by 2629. You also gain Minor Berserk for 5 seconds after dealing Critical Damage from an enemy's flank.
New Effect
While slotted, dealing Critical Damage from the flank of an enemy grants Minor Berserk.
Evil Hunter
Cost:
5130 Stamina
Duration:
5 seconds
Invoke your expertise in anatomy and enemy behavior to detect stealthed and invisible enemies around you for 5 seconds. Exposed enemies cannot return to stealth or invisibility for 4 seconds. While active, increases the damage of your Stamina costing Fighters Guild abilities by 25%. While slotted you gain Major Savagery and Prophecy, increasing your Weapon and Spell Critical rating by 2629.
New Effect
While active, your non Ultimate Fighters Guild abilities have increased damage. Increases the radius of the reveal.
Trap Beast
Cost:
3240 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Set a sharpened blade trap at your location, which takes 1.5 seconds to arm and lasts for 20 seconds. When triggered, the trap deals 1161 Bleed Damage, an additional 3470 Bleed Damage over 20 seconds, and grants you Minor Force, increasing your Critical Damage by 10% for the duration. Enemies who activate the trap are immobilized for 2 seconds.
Barbed Trap
Cost:
3240 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Set a sharpened blade trap at your location, which takes 1.5 seconds to arm and lasts for 20 seconds. When triggered, the trap deals 1438 Bleed Damage, an additional 3580 Bleed Damage over 20 seconds, and grants you Minor Force, increasing your Critical Damage by 10% for the duration. Enemies hit by the initial hit are afflicted with the Hemorrhaging status effect. Enemies who activate the trap are immobilized for 2 seconds.
New Effect
Increases the damage done by the initial hit, and it always applies the Hemorrhaging status effect.
Lightweight Beast Trap
Cost:
2970 Stamina
Duration:
20 seconds
Launch a sharpened blade trap at a target location, which takes 1.5 seconds to arm and lasts for 20 seconds. When triggered, the trap deals 1161 Bleed Damage, an additional 3470 Bleed Damage over 20 seconds, and grants you Minor Force, increasing your Critical Damage by 10% for the duration. Enemies who activate the trap are immobilized for 2 seconds.
New Effect
The trap can be thrown up to 28 meters away. Reduces the cost as the ability ranks up.
Dawnbreaker
Cost:
125 Ultimate
Duration:
6 seconds
Arm yourself with Meridia's sacred sword and dispense her retribution, dealing 2904 Physical Damage to enemies in front of you and an additional 3483 Physical Damage over 6 seconds.
Dawnbreaker of Smiting
Cost:
125 Ultimate
Duration:
6 seconds
Arm yourself with Meridia's sacred sword and dispense her retribution, dealing 3600 Physical Damage to enemies in front of you, an additional 4314 Physical Damage over 6 seconds, and stunning them for 2 seconds.
New Effect
Increases the damage and stuns enemies hit.
Flawless Dawnbreaker
Cost:
125 Ultimate
Duration:
6 seconds
Arm yourself with Meridia's sacred sword and dispense her retribution, dealing 2904 Physical Damage to enemies in front of you and an additional 3483 Physical Damage over 6 seconds. After activating, your Weapon and Spell Damage is increased by 300 for 20 seconds.
New Effect
After activating, your Weapon and Spell Damage is increased.
Intimidating Presence
Allows you to Intimidate NPCs in conversation. Reduces the Stamina cost of your Fighters Guild abilities by 15%.
Fighter’s Guild passives work only if you have a Fighter’s Guild ability slotted so most of the time you won’t need any of them, but if you do end up using them, you’ll definitely want the 
Intimidating Presence, which reduces the stamina cost of your Fighter’s Guild abilities by 15%.
Slayer
Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by 3% for each Fighters Guild ability slotted.
Slayer passive will increase your weapon and spell damage by 3% for each Fighter’s Guild ability slotted. This can boost your healing abilities such as 
Resolving Vigor. It’s something you want to get only when you have spare skill points, and there’s no point in getting it all if you don’t plan on using Fighter’s Guild abilities.
Banish the Wicked
You generate 3 Ultimate whenever you kill an enemy.
Getting more ultimate is nice, but Banish the Wicked only works when you land killing blows, which won’t happen much as a tank. Plus, it needs a Fighter’s Guild ability slotted, and you’ll rarely have room for that in your setup.
Skilled Tracker
Your Fighters Guild abilities deal an additional 10% damage. This bonus doubles against player Vampires and Werewolves.
Bounty Hunter
Allows you to accept bounty quests from the Fighters Guild in Cyrodiil.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Magelight
Cost:
5130 Magicka
Duration:
5 seconds
Summon a mote of magelight, revealing stealthed and invisible enemies around you for 5 seconds. Exposed enemies cannot return to stealth or invisibility for 4 seconds. While slotted you gain Major Savagery and Prophecy, increasing your Weapon and Spell Critical rating by 2629.
Inner Light
Cost:
5130 Magicka
Duration:
5 seconds
Summon a mote of magelight, revealing stealthed and invisible enemies around you for 5 seconds. Exposed enemies cannot return to stealth or invisibility for 4 seconds. While slotted you gain Major Savagery and Prophecy, increasing your Weapon and Spell Critical rating by 2629 and your Max Magicka is increased by 5%.
New Effect
Also increases your Max Magicka while slotted.
Radiant Magelight
Cost:
4860 Magicka
Duration:
5 seconds
Summon a mote of magelight, revealing stealthed and invisible enemies around you for 5 seconds. Exposed enemies cannot return to stealth or invisibility for 4 seconds. While slotted you gain Major Savagery and Prophecy, increasing your Weapon and Spell Critical rating by 2629. You also prevent the stun from stealth attacks for you and nearby allies.
New Effect
Increases the radius of the reveal. You and nearby allies cannot be stunned from sneak attacks while slotted. Reduces the cost as the ability ranks up.
Entropy
Cost:
2700 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Bind an enemy with chaotic magic, dealing 4631 Magic Damage over 20 seconds.
Degeneration
Cost:
2430 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Bind an enemy with chaotic magic, dealing 4642 Magic Damage over 20 seconds. Excess magic spills out from them, granting you Major Brutality and Sorcery, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 20% for 20 seconds.
New Effect
You gain Major Brutality and Sorcery for a time after casting. Reduces the cost as the ability ranks up.
Structured Entropy
Cost:
2700 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Bind an enemy with chaotic magic, dealing 4642 Magic Damage over 20 seconds, and healing you for 435 every 2 seconds.
New Effect
Adds a heal over time when the damage over time is active.
Structured Entropy applies a 20-second damage-over-time effect to an enemy, extended to 22 seconds with the 
Everlasting Magic passive. Every 2 seconds, it heals you for 1.9% of your max stamina or magicka plus 19.7% of your weapon or spell damage. Its strength lies in the ability to stack it on multiple enemies, letting you build up a lot of healing over time. While not a staple ability, it can be incredibly useful in fights like the first boss of Dreadsail Reef.
Fire Rune
Cost:
3240 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Inscribe a rune of cosmic fire on the earth, which takes 2 seconds to arm and lasts for 20 seconds. When triggered, the rune blasts all enemies in the target area for 2323 Flame Damage.
Scalding Rune
Cost:
3240 Magicka
Duration (rune on the ground):
20 seconds
Duration (Damage over Time):
22 seconds
Inscribe a rune of cosmic fire on the earth, which takes 2 seconds to arm and lasts for 20 seconds. When triggered, the rune blasts all enemies in the target area for 2323 Flame Damage and an additional 2871 Flame Damage over 22 seconds.
New Effect
The rune also deals additional damage over time.
Volcanic Rune
Cost:
2970 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Inscribe a rune of cosmic fire on the earth, which takes 2 seconds to arm and lasts for 20 seconds. When triggered, the rune blasts all enemies in the target area for 2323 Flame Damage, knocks them into the air, and stuns them for 3 seconds.
New Effect
The rune knocks enemies into the air and stuns them. Reduces the cost as the ability ranks up.
Equilibrium
Cost:
6000 Health
Target:
Self
Barter with Oblivion to trade vitality for power, sacrificing your Health in exchange for 3000 Magicka. The exchange reduces your healing done and damage shield strength by 50% for 4 seconds.
Equilibrium lets you trade health for magicka, which can help improve your magicka sustain. However, using it reduces the strength of your healing and damage shields by 50% for 4 seconds, so it’s something you’ll need to use carefully.
Balance
Cost:
6000 Health
Target:
Self
Duration:
30 seconds
Barter with Oblivion to trade vitality for power, sacrificing your Health in exchange for 3000 Magicka. After the exchange is complete, you gain Major Resolve for 30 seconds, increasing your Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948. The exchange reduces your healing done and damage shield strength by 50% for 4 seconds.
New Effect
After the exchange is complete, you gain Major Resolve, increasing your Physical and Spell Resistance.
The Balance morph grants you Major Resolve for 32 seconds, which allows you to use this skill as a replacement for Hardened Armor in fight with mostly direct damage and no DoTs.
Spell Symmetry
Cost:
6000 Health
Target:
Self
Duration:
5 seconds
Barter with Oblivion to trade vitality for power, sacrificing your Health in exchange for 3000 Magicka. After the exchange is complete, the cost of your next Magicka ability is reduced by 33% for 5 seconds. The exchange reduces your healing done and damage shield strength by 50% for 4 seconds.
New Effect
After the exchange is complete, the cost of your next Magicka ability is reduced.
The Spell Symmetry morph reduces the cost of your next magicka ability by 33%, so it’s the better option if you want the additional Magicka sustain from
Equilibrium, but also want to keep using Hardened Armor for its damage shield.
Meteor
Cost:
200 Ultimate
Range:
28 meters
Radius:
5 meters
Call a comet down from the constellations to blast an enemy, dealing 4065 Flame Damage to all enemies in the area, knocking them down, and stunning them for 2 seconds. After impact, enemies in the target area take 1161 Flame Damage every 1 second for 11 seconds.
Ice Comet
Cost:
200 Ultimate
Range:
28 meters
Radius:
5 meters
Call a comet down from the constellations to blast an enemy, dealing 4620 Frost Damage to all enemies in the area, knocking them down, stunning them for 2 seconds, and reducing their Movement Speed by 50% for 5 seconds. After impact, enemies in the target area take 1319 Frost Damage every 1 second for 11 seconds.
New Effect
Increases the damage, deals Frost Damage, and reduces the Movement Speed of enemies hit.
Shooting Star
Cost:
200 Ultimate
Range:
28 meters
Radius:
5 meters
Call a comet down from the constellations to blast an enemy, dealing 4067 Flame Damage to all enemies in the area, knocking them down, and stunning them for 2 seconds. After impact, enemies in the target area take 1161 Flame Damage every 1 second for 11 seconds. You generate 12 Ultimate for each enemy hit by the initial blast.
New Effect
You generate Ultimate for each enemy hit by the initial blast.
Persuasive Will
Allows you to Persuade NPCs in conversation.
Mage Adept
Reduces the Magicka and Health cost of your Mages Guild abilities by 15%.
Everlasting Magic
Increases the duration of your Mages Guild abilities by 2 seconds.
Magicka Controller
Increases your Max Magicka and Magicka Recovery by 2% for each Mages Guild ability slotted.
Might of the Guild
Casting a Mages Guild ability grants you Empower, increasing the damage of your Heavy Attacks against monsters by 70% for 10 seconds.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Time Stop
Cost:
7830 Magicka
Cast Time:
2 seconds
Freeze the passage of time at the target location, gradually reducing the Movement Speed of enemies in the area during the channel before finally stunning them in place for 3 seconds when the channel completes.
Borrowed Time
Cost:
7830 Magicka
Cast Time:
2 seconds
Freeze the passage of time at the target location, gradually reducing the Movement Speed of enemies in the area during the channel before finally stunning them in place for 3 seconds when the channel completes. Enemies that are stunned gain 5000 Heal Absorption for 3 seconds, negating the next 5000 points of healing done.
New Effect
Negates healing done on enemies that are stunned.
Time Freeze
Cost:
7560 Magicka
Duration:
4 seconds
Freeze the passage of time at the target location, gradually reducing the Movement Speed of enemies in the area over 4 seconds before finally stunning them in place for 3 seconds when the duration completes.
New Effect
Removes the cast time, but it takes longer to stun enemies. Reduces the cost as the ability ranks up.
Imbue Weapon
Cost:
2700 Stamina
Duration:
2 seconds
Infuse your weapon with power, causing your next Light Attack used within 2 seconds to deal an additional 2090 Physical Damage. If the power is not consumed in time, you restore 1620 Stamina.
Crushing Weapon
Cost:
2700 Stamina
Duration:
2 seconds
Infuse your weapon with power, causing your next Light Attack used within 2 seconds to deal an additional 2160 Physical Damage and applying Major Breach to the target, reducing their Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948 for 5 seconds. If the power is not consumed in time, you restore 1620 Stamina.
New Effect
Applies Major Breach to the enemy, reducing their Physical and Spell Resistance.
Elemental Weapon
Cost:
2700 Magicka
Duration:
2 seconds
Infuse your weapon with power, causing your next Light Attack used within 2 seconds to deal an additional 2160 Magic Damage and apply the Burning, Concussion, or Chill elemental status effect. If the power is not consumed in time, you restore 1620 Magicka.
New Effect
Converts into a Magicka ability and deals Magic Damage. Applies a random status effect.
Accelerate
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Bend time and space around you to gain Major Expedition for 4 seconds and Minor Force for 20 seconds, increasing your Movement Speed by 30% and Critical Damage by 10%.
Channeled Acceleration
Cost:
3510 Magicka
Duration:
60 seconds
Bend time and space around you to gain Major Expedition for 12 seconds and Minor Force for 1 minute, increasing your Movement Speed by 30% and Critical Damage by 10%.
New Effect
Triples the duration, but adds a cast time.
Race Against Time
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Bend time and space around you to gain Major Expedition for 4 seconds and Minor Force for 20 seconds, increasing your Movement Speed by 30% and Critical Damage by 10%. Activating this ability removes all snares and immobilizations from you and grants immunity to them for 4 seconds.
New Effect
Grants immunity to snares and immobilizations for a short duration.
Race Against Time removes snares and immobilizations and gives you 2 seconds of immunity. It's really helpful when off-tanking Nahviintaas, for example, since the statues in that fight apply a stacking snare that can lock you in place. You can use Race Against Time to get rid of it and get Major Expedition, which boosts your movement speed by 30%. Protective Scale also gives you immunity to snares and immobilizations, but it doesn’t provide the speed boost like Race Against Time does.
Mend Wounds
Target:
Self
Invoke the Rites of Moawita, replacing your Light and Heavy Attacks with healing abilities that can only be used on allies. Your Light Attacks heal for 941. Your Heavy Attacks heal for 834 every 1 second, and restore 1155 Magicka to you for successfully healing.
Mend Spirit
Target:
Self
Invoke the Rites of Moawita, replacing your Light and Heavy Attacks with healing abilities that only can be used on allies. Your Light Attacks heal for 972. Your Heavy Attacks heal for 863 every 1 second, and restore 1155 Magicka to you for successfully healing. After you heal an ally you grant them Major Resolve, increasing their Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948 for 5 seconds.
New Effect
Increases your ally's Physical and Spell Resistance while you heal them.
Symbiosis
Target:
Self
Invoke the Rites of Moawita, replacing your Light and Heavy Attacks with healing abilities that can be used on allies. Your Light Attacks heal for 972. Your Heavy Attacks heal for 863 every 1 second, and restore 1155 Magicka to you for successfully healing. You heal yourself for 50% of the amount of healing done to the ally.
New Effect
You heal yourself for a percentage of the healing done to the ally.
Meditate
Target:
Self
Focus your body and mind into a meditative state, healing for 1500 Health and restoring 1500 Magicka and Stamina every 1 second. You will remain in a meditative state until you toggle this ability off or are interrupted.
Deep Thoughts
Target:
Self
Focus your body and mind into a meditative state, healing for 1500 Health and restoring 1900 Magicka and Stamina every 1 second. You will remain in a meditative state until you toggle this ability off or are interrupted.
New Effect
Increases the amount of Magicka and Stamina restored.
Introspection
Target:
Self
Focus your body and mind into a meditative state, healing for 1800 Health and restoring 1500 Magicka and Stamina every 1 second. Maintaining the channel increases the Health restored by 10% every tick, up to a maximum of 50%. You will remain in a meditative state until you toggle this ability off or are interrupted.
New Effect
Maintaining the channel increases the amount of Health restored.
Undo
Cost:
165 Ultimate
Target:
Self
Step backwards in time, resetting your Health, Magicka, Stamina, and position to what they were 4 seconds ago.
Precognition
Cost:
150 Ultimate
Target:
Self
Step backwards in time, resetting your Health, Magicka, Stamina, and position to what they were 4 seconds ago. You can cast this ability while you are crowd controlled and it automatically grants you Crowd Control Immunity.
New Effect
You can cast the ability while crowd controlled and will automatically gain Crowd Control Immunity.
Temporal Guard
Cost:
150 Ultimate
Target:
Self
Step backwards in time, resetting your Health, Magicka, Stamina, and position to what they were 4 seconds ago. While slotted you gain Minor Protection, reducing your damage taken by 5%.
New Effect
While slotted your damage taken is reduced.
Temporal Guard grants Minor Protection while slotted, reducing damage taken by 5%. It also triggers 
Concentrated Barrier.
See the Unseen
The insight you have gained from the Psijic Order grants you vision of the spiritual world. You can now interact with rifts all throughout Tamriel.
Clairvoyance
Reduces the cost of your Psijic Order abilities by 15%.
Spell Orb
When you cast a Psijic Order ability while you are in combat, you generate a spell charge for 10 seconds. When you reach 5 spell charges, you launch a spell orb at the closest enemy to you dealing 1124 Magic Damage. This effect scales off your highest offensive stats.
Concentrated Barrier
While you have a Psijic Order ability slotted and are Bracing, you gain a damage shield that absorbs 5000 damage. This damage shield recharges back to full strength after you spend 10 seconds not Bracing.
Deliberation
While you are casting or channeling a Psijic Order ability you reduce your damage taken by 30%.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Blood Altar
Cost:
4320 Health
Duration:
30 seconds
Sacrifice your life essence to conjure a fountain of blood to apply Minor Lifesteal to enemies in the area, healing you and your allies for 600 Health every 1 second when damaging them. Allies in the area can activate the Blood Funnel synergy, healing for 40% of their Max Health.
Blood Altar is super useful in every fight. You don’t have to run it yourself, but someone in your group should. It puts Minor Lifesteal on all enemies in a 28-meter radius, giving allies 600 health every second when they attack them. The best part is the Blood Funnel synergy, which allies can use when their health is low to heal for 40% of their max health. It has a 20-second cooldown like all synergies.
Overflowing Altar
Cost:
4050 Health
Duration:
30 seconds
Sacrifice your life essence to conjure a fountain of blood to apply Minor Lifesteal to enemies in the area, healing you and your allies for 600 Health every 1 second when damaging them. Allies in the area can activate the Blood Feast synergy, healing for 65% of their Max Health.
New Effect
The synergy heals allies for more. Reduces the cost as the ability ranks up.
The 
Overflowing Altar morph makes it even better. Instead of Blood Funnel, it gives the Blood Feast synergy, which heals for 65% of an ally’s max health. This can be a lifesaver in many situations.
Sanguine Altar
Cost:
2160 Health
Duration:
40 seconds
Sacrifice your life essence to conjure a fountain of blood to apply Minor Lifesteal to enemies in the area, healing you and your allies for 600 Health every 1 second when damaging them. Allies in the area can activate the Blood Funnel synergy, healing for 40% of their Max Health.
New Effect
Increases the duration and reduces the cost.
Trapping Webs
Cost:
2984 Stamina
Duration:
10 seconds
Hurl webs to ensnare your foes, reducing the Movement Speed of enemies in the area by 50% and dealing 1742 Physical Damage. After 10 seconds the webs explode, dealing 2323 Poison Damage to enemies within. A ranged ally can activate the Spawn Broodling synergy on an affected enemy, dealing 2249 Poison Damage to them and summoning a spider to attack for 10 seconds. The spider bites enemies for 673 Physical Damage.
Trapping Webs places a web on the ground that deals damage, slows enemies, and explodes after 10 seconds. The main feature is the Spawn Broodling synergy it gives to ranged allies, which summons a spider. Since the synergy requires allies to be at range, it’s pretty situational. It can be useful in fights like Asylum Sanctorium, where allies need to stay far from the boss when kiting, allowing them to actually use the synergy.
Shadow Silk
Cost:
2984 Stamina
Duration:
10 seconds
Hurl webs to ensnare your foes, reducing the Movement Speed of enemies in the area by 50% and dealing 1799 Physical Damage. After 10 seconds the webs explode, dealing 2399 Poison Damage to enemies within. A ranged ally can activate the Black Widow synergy on an affected enemy, dealing 2249 Poison Damage to them and summoning a spider to attack for 10 seconds. The spider bites enemies for 673 Physical Damage and can poison them for 4488 Poison Damage over 10 seconds.
New Effect
The synergy summons a more powerful spider, which deals additional damage over time.
The 
Shadow Silk morph makes the summoned spider from the synergy hit harder by adding a damage-over-time effect. This makes it way better than the other morph.
Tangling Webs
Cost:
2984 Stamina
Duration:
10 seconds
Hurl webs to ensnare your foes, reducing the Movement Speed of enemies in the area by 50% and dealing 1742 Physical Damage. After 10 seconds the webs explode, dealing 2323 Poison Damage to enemies within. A ranged ally can activate the Arachnophobia synergy on an affected enemy, dealing 2249 Poison Damage to them, fearing them for 4 seconds, and summoning a spider to attack for 10 seconds. The spider bites enemies for 673 Physical Damage.
New Effect
The synergy also fears the enemy.
Inner Fire
Cost:
1620 Magicka
Range:
28 meters
Ignite the fires of hate in an enemy's heart, dealing 1045 Flame Damage and taunting them to attack you for 15 seconds. An ally targeting the taunted enemy can activate the Radiate synergy, dealing 1344 Flame Damage to them over 3 seconds then an additional 2249 Flame Damage to them and other nearby enemies.
Inner Fire is a ranged taunt with a 28-meter range. It also provides the Radiate synergy, which deals 6% of the user’s max stamina or magicka + 62% of their weapon or spell damage as flame damage over 3 seconds. Afterward, it explodes, dealing 10% of their max stamina or magicka + 105% of their weapon or spell damage as flame damage. This makes Radiate the strongest damaging synergy in the game. Inner Fire’s flame damage can also trigger the Encratis’s Behemoth monster set.
Inner Beast
Cost:
2295 Stamina
Range:
28 meters
Ignite the fires of hate in an enemy's heart, dealing 2160 Physical Damage, taunting them to attack you, and applying Minor Maim and Minor Vulnerability for 15 seconds, reducing their damage done and increasing their damage taken by 5%. An ally targeting the enemy can activate the Radiate synergy, dealing 1344 Flame Damage to them over 3 seconds then an additional 2249 Flame Damage to them and other nearby enemies.
New Effect
Converts into a Stamina ability and deals increased Physical Damage. Applies Minor Vulnerability and Maim to the enemy.
Inner Rage
Cost:
1620 Magicka
Range:
28 meters
Ignite the fires of hate in an enemy's heart, dealing 1079 Flame Damage and taunting them to attack you for 15 seconds. Up to 3 allies targeting the taunted enemy can activate the Radiate synergy, dealing 1344 Flame Damage to them over 3 seconds then an additional 2249 Flame Damage to them and other nearby enemies.
New Effect
The synergy can now be activated by up to 3 allies.
The 
Inner Rage morph allows 3 people to use the synergy, which translates into lots of damage when your entire group makes use of it. It’s also worth recasting this ability early in 12-man content to allow even more people to use the synergies. The other ranged taunts, like Destructive Clench and 
Shield Throw, take priority if your team needs the damage reduction from Major Maim, but Inner Rage can be great in fights with less incoming damage. Also, if you have enough bar space, you could use both of them simultaneously.
Bone Shield
Cost:
3672 Stamina
Duration:
6 seconds
Surround yourself with a whirlwind of bones, gaining a damage shield that absorbs up to 4958 damage for 6 seconds. This ability scales off your Max Health. An ally near you can activate the Bone Wall synergy, granting the ally and up to 5 other allies a damage shield equal to 30% of their Max Health for 6 seconds.
Bone Surge
Cost:
3672 Stamina
Duration:
6 seconds
Surround yourself with a whirlwind of bones, gaining a damage shield that absorbs up to 5121 damage for 6 seconds. This ability scales off your Max Health. An ally near you can activate the Spinal Surge synergy, granting up to 6 allies a damage shield that absorbs up to 30% of their Max Health for 6 seconds and Major Vitality, increasing their healing received and damage shield strength by 12%.
New Effect
Upgrades the synergy to grant Major Vitality.
Spiked Bone Shield
Cost:
3672 Stamina
Duration:
6 seconds
Surround yourself with a whirlwind of bones, gaining a damage shield that absorbs up to 4958 damage for 6 seconds and returns 100% of direct damage absorbed back to the enemy. This ability scales off your Max Health. An ally near you can activate the Bone Wall synergy, granting the ally and up to 5 other allies a damage shield equal to 30% of their Max Health for 6 seconds.
New Effect
Absorbing direct damage causes you to deal a portion of the damage back to enemies if they are in melee range.
Necrotic Orb
Cost:
2970 Magicka
Duration:
10 seconds
Project a globe of annihilation that slowly floats forward for 10 seconds, dealing 316 Magic Damage every 1 second to nearby enemies. An ally near the globe can activate the Combustion synergy, causing the orb to explode for 2249 Magic Damage to nearby enemies and restore 3960 Magicka or Stamina to the ally, whichever maximum is higher.
Necrotic Orb sends an orb forward that deals damage to enemies around it. It also provides a synergy that restores 3960 of an ally’s dominant resource when activated. While the synergy is important for resource sustain, as a tank, you likely won’t need to use it yourself since someone else in the group will be using it. However, if no one else runs it, you can provide significant sustain and damage by using it yourself.
Energy Orb
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Duration:
10 seconds
Project a globe of regeneration that slowly floats forward, healing for 489 Health every 1 second to you and nearby allies. An ally near the globe can activate the Healing Combustion synergy, causing the orb to explode and heal for 2249 Health to nearby allies and restoring 3960 Magicka or Stamina to the activator, whichever maximum is higher.
New Effect
The orb heals allies instead of damaging enemies and moves faster.
Energy Orb is a great healing over time ability that doesn’t require a specific weapon type, like a Restoration Staff. Use it whenever your team needs more group healing.
Mystic Orb
Cost:
2970 Magicka
Duration:
10 seconds
Project a globe of annihilation that slowly floats forward, dealing 326 Magic Damage every 1 second to nearby enemies. While the orb is active you gain 100 Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery. An ally near the globe can activate the Combustion synergy, causing the orb to explode for 2249 Magic Damage to nearby enemies and restore 3960 Magicka or Stamina to the ally, whichever maximum is higher.
New Effect
Increases your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery while active.
Mystic Orb retains the original Combustion synergy instead of changing it into Healing Combustion and grants you additional recoveries on top of that. The Healing Combustion synergy is relatively useless, because people will want to use the synergy immediately to sustain their resources, which means that majority of the times they'll trigger the healing explosion when the healing isn't needed. Because of that, whenever you don't need the additional healing over time from Energy Orb, you should use Mystic Orb so your group can deal more damage thanks to the original Combustion.
Undaunted Command
Activating a synergy restores 4% of your Max Health, Stamina, and Magicka.
Undaunted Command restores 4% of your max health, stamina, and magicka whenever you use a synergy, significantly boosting your sustain.
Undaunted Mettle
Increases your Max Health, Stamina, and Magicka by 2% per type of Armor (Heavy, Medium, Light) that you have equipped.
Undaunted Mettle increases your max health, stamina, and magicka by 2% for each type of armor you're wearing. To get the full benefit of this passive, you'll typically want to use 5 heavy, 1 medium, and 1 light armor.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Vigor
Cost:
2984 Stamina
Duration:
10 seconds
Let loose a battle cry, instilling yourself and nearby allies with resolve and healing them for 3480 Health over 10 seconds.
Vigor is a useful skill that provides a 10-second heal over time to you and your allies within an 8-meter radius. It’s especially effective in trial settings where your weapon damage is boosted by other supports. It’s also the go-to skill for proccing the 
Powerful Assault set.
Echoing Vigor
Cost:
2984 Stamina
Duration:
16 seconds
Let loose a battle cry, instilling you and your allies with resolve and healing for 3480 Health over 16 seconds.
New Effect
Increases the radius. Increases the duration as the ability ranks up.
Echoing Vigor extends the duration from 10 to 16 seconds and increases the radius from 8 to 15 meters. This morph can work well in fights where tanking is easier and if you're already getting Minor Resolve from other sources.
Resolving Vigor
Cost:
2984 Stamina
Duration:
5 seconds
Let loose a battle cry, instilling yourself with resolve and healing for 5388 Health over 5 seconds. After casting you gain Minor Resolve, increasing your Physical and Spell Resistance by 2974, for 20 seconds.
New Effect
The heal over time now happens faster over a shorter duration, heals for more, increases your Armor, but now only targets yourself.
Resolving Vigor no longer heals your allies but provides a stronger heal for yourself over a shorter period. It also grants you the Minor Resolve buff for 20 seconds, boosting your armor by 2974. Since Minor Resolve is essential for tanking, you'll use this morph most of the time.
Rapid Maneuver
Cost:
6426 Stamina
Duration:
8 seconds
Mobilize your forces, granting Major Expedition to you and your group, increasing your Movement Speed by 30% for 8 seconds.
Rapid Maneuver grants you and your allies within 28 meters Major Expedition for 8 seconds, boosting movement speed by 30%. Keep in mind, this skill has a high cost, using 6426 stamina without any modifiers.
Charging Maneuver
Cost:
6156 Stamina
Duration:
8 seconds
Mobilize your forces, granting Major and Minor Expedition to you and your group, increasing your Movement Speed by 30% and 15% respectively, for 8 seconds.
New Effect
Also grants Minor Expedition, increasing your Movement Speed further. Reduces the cost as the ability ranks up.
The morph you'll want to use is 
Charging Maneuver, which not only gives Major Expedition but also adds Minor Expedition for the duration, boosting movement speed by an extra 15%. The cost is reduced to 6156 stamina as well. This skill is useful in trials for speeding up the group’s movement between trash packs, but it can also be crucial in specific mechanics. For example, in the Lord Falgravn fight in Kyne’s Aegis trial, it helps your team quickly form a line to transfer a lightning bolt to the boss to interrupt an ability that could wipe the group. With a 28-meter range, it can cover the entire team if used at the right moment.
Retreating Maneuver
Cost:
6426 Stamina
Duration:
8 seconds
Mobilize your forces, granting Major Expedition to you and your group, increasing your Movement Speed by 30% for 8 seconds. Attacks from behind deal 15% less damage while this effect persists
New Effect
Attacks made against you from behind deal less damage while this effect persists.
Caltrops
Cost:
2295 Stamina
Duration:
10 seconds
Hurl a ball of caltrops that scatter over the target area, dealing 280 Physical Damage every 1 second to enemies inside, and reducing their Movement Speed by 50%.
Anti-Cavalry Caltrops
Cost:
2295 Stamina
Duration:
15 seconds
Hurl a ball of caltrops that scatter over the target area, dealing 281 Physical Damage every 1 second to enemies inside, and reducing their Movement Speed by 50%. The caltrops also drain the Mount Stamina of any enemy in the area.
New Effect
Increases the duration and drains the Mount Stamina of any enemy in the area.
Razor Caltrops
Cost:
2295 Stamina
Duration:
10 seconds
Hurl a ball of caltrops that scatter over the target area, dealing 281 Physical Damage every 1 second to enemies inside, and reducing their Movement Speed by 50%. Enemies who take damage from the caltrops have Major Breach applied to them, reducing their Physical and Spell Resistance by 5948 for 4.1 seconds.
New Effect
Applies Major Breach to damaged enemies, reducing their Resistances.
Razor Caltrops applies Major Breach to all enemies inside of it, reducing their armor by 5948, providing around a 13% damage increase. It’s extremely good for trash fights.
Magicka Detonation
Cost:
3510 Magicka
Duration:
4 seconds
Curse an enemy with a magical bomb that explodes after 4 seconds, dealing 434 Magic Damage to all enemies in the area. Each enemy within the bomb's radius increases the damage by 100%, including the original target.
Inevitable Detonation
Cost:
3510 Magicka
Duration:
4 seconds
Curse an enemy with a magical bomb that explodes after 4 seconds, dealing 449 Magic Damage to all enemies in the area. If the bomb is dispelled or removed early, the explosion is triggered immediately. Each enemy within the bomb's radius increases the damage by 100%.
New Effect
If the bomb is dispelled or removed early, the explosion is triggered immediately.
Proximity Detonation
Cost:
3510 Magicka
Duration:
8 seconds
Activate a magical bomb on yourself that explodes after 8 seconds, dealing 449 Magic Damage to all enemies in the area. Each enemy within the bomb's radius increases the damage by 100%, including the original target.
New Effect
You become the center of the detonation. Removes cast time, but doubles the duration it takes to detonate.
War Horn
Cost:
250 Ultimate
Duration:
30 seconds
Sound a war horn to rally your forces, increasing you and your group's Max Magicka and Max Stamina by 10% for 30 seconds.
War Horn is the ultimate you'll use most of the time. It costs 250 ultimate and grants a buff to you and all allies within 20 meters, increasing their max stamina and max magicka by 10%. This translates to roughly 2.5% damage increase.
Aggressive Horn
Cost:
250 Ultimate
Duration (Resource buff):
30 seconds
Duration (Major Force):
10 seconds
Sound a war horn to rally your forces, increasing you and your group's Max Magicka and Max Stamina by 10% for 30 seconds. You and your allies gain Major Force, increasing your Critical Damage by 20% for 10 seconds.
New Effect
You and your allies gain Major Force for a brief period after activation.
The Aggressive Horn morph not only grants the usual buffs from War Horn but also provides Major Force for 10 seconds. This increases your group's critical damage by 20%, giving a huge boost to your team's DPS.
Sturdy Horn
Cost:
250 Ultimate
Duration (Resource buff):
30 seconds
Duration (Critical Resistance):
10 seconds
Sound a war horn to rally your forces, increasing you and your group's Max Magicka and Max Stamina by 10% for 30 seconds. You and your allies gain 1320 Critical Resistance for 10 seconds, reducing incoming Critical Damage by 20%.
New Effect
You and your allies take less damage from critical attacks for a brief period after activation.
Continuous Attack
Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by 10% and Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery by 20% for 10 minutes after you capture a Lumber Mill, Farm, Mine, or Keep. Gain Major Gallop at all times, increasing your Mount Speed by 30%.
It’s definitely worth putting a point into Continuous Attack for the Major Gallop buff, which increases your movement speed while mounted by 30%.
Reach
Increases the range of long-range abilities by 5 meters while near a keep or outpost. Any ability with a range greater than 28 meters is affected.
Combat Frenzy
You generate 20 Ultimate when you kill an enemy player.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Siege Shield
Cost:
8100 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Create a protective sphere over your location that reduces damage taken from siege weapons by 50% for you and nearby allies.
Propelling Shield
Cost:
7830 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Create a protective sphere over your location that reduces damage taken from siege weapons by 50% for you and nearby allies. Also increases the range of abilities with a range greater than 28 meters by 7 meters. Does not affect Leap, Move Position, and Pull abilities.
New Effect
Costs less and allies in the shield gain increased range.
Propelling Shield increases the range of abilities with at least 28 meters by 7 meters while you're standing inside the shield. This can be useful in specific encounters, like the Ansuul fight in Sanity's Edge, where the extra range is beneficial. It's extremely situational.
Siege Weapon Shield
Cost:
8100 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Create a protective sphere over your location that reduces damage taken from siege weapons by 50% for you and nearby allies. The sphere also protects you and your allies' siege weapons, reducing damage from enemy siege weapons by 75%.
New Effect
Your and allied siege weapons in the bubble take reduced damage from other siege weapons.
Purge
Cost:
7830 Magicka
Radius:
18 meters
Cleanse yourself and your group, removing up to 3 negative effects immediately.
Purge is a very expensive ability that will cleanse up to 3 effects from you and your allies within 18 meters. It’s extremely useful in some places, such as for example the first boss in the Halls of Fabrication trial - Hunter-Killer Fabricants.
Cleanse
Cost:
7830 Magicka
Radius:
18 meters
Cleanse yourself and your group, removing 3 negative effects immediately. For every negative effect removed, the target is healed for 5% of their Max Health.
New Effect
If a negative effect is removed, the target is healed.
Efficient Purge
Cost:
5400 Magicka
Radius:
18 meters
Cleanse yourself and your group, removing up to 3 negative effects immediately.
New Effect
Reduces the cost.
You’ll want to use the Efficient Purge morph to make the cost a bit more bearable.
Guard
Cost:
3402 Stamina
Range:
15 meters
Create a lifebond between you and an allied player. While bonded 30% of the damage they take is instead redistributed to you. The bond will remain until you recast the spell or move more than 15 meters away from your ally.
Guard links you to another group member, transferring 30% of the damage they take to you within 15 meters. This is especially useful in fights where one tank, usually the main tank, takes more damage. The tank with less incoming damage can guard the other to help them survive.
Mystic Guard
Cost:
3132 Stamina
Range:
15 meters
Create a lifebond between you and an allied player. While bonded 30% of the damage they take is instead redistributed to you. You and your bonded ally also gain Minor Vitality, increasing your healing received and damage shield strength by 6%. The bond will remain until you recast the spell or move more than 15 meters away from your ally.
New Effect
You and your bonded ally also gain Minor Vitality, increasing your healing received.
Mystic Guard, also provides constant Minor Vitality, which increases healing received and strength of damage shields by 6%. Though this buff will most likely already be applied by your healer using Ozezan the Inferno monster set.
Stalwart Guard
Cost:
3132 Stamina
Range:
15 meters
Create a lifebond between you and an allied player. While bonded 30% of the damage they take is instead redistributed to you. You and your bonded ally also gain Minor Force, increasing your Critical Damage by 10%. The bond will remain until you recast the spell or move more than 15 meters away from your ally.
New Effect
You and your bonded ally also gain Minor Force, increasing your Critical Damage.
Revealing Flare
Cost:
5130 Magicka
Duration:
5 seconds
Launch a blinding flare, revealing stealthed and invisible enemies in the target area for 5 seconds. Exposed enemies cannot return to stealth or invisibility for 4 seconds. While slotted you gain Major Protection, reducing your damage taken by 10%.
Revealing Flare is an extremely important skill for a tank. Activating the skill exposes invisible enemies, which you'll rarely find useful in PvE. However, it also passively grants you Major Protection, decreasing your damage taken by 10%, which is extremely useful. It’s essentially trading a skill slot for 10% damage mitigation.
Blinding Flare
Cost:
5130 Magicka
Duration:
5 seconds
Launch a blinding flare, revealing stealthed and invisible enemies in the target area for 5 seconds. Exposed enemies are stunned for 4 seconds, and cannot return to stealth or invisibility for 4 seconds. While slotted you gain Major Protection, reducing your damage taken by 10%.
New Effect
Exposed enemies are also stunned.
Lingering Flare
Cost:
5130 Magicka
Duration:
5 seconds
Launch a blinding flare, revealing stealthed and invisible enemies in the target area for 10 seconds. Exposed enemies cannot return to stealth or invisibility for 4 seconds. While slotted you gain Major Protection, reducing your damage taken by 10%.
New Effect
The flare lasts longer.
Barrier
Cost:
250 Ultimate
Duration:
30 seconds
Invoke defensive tactics to protect yourself and nearby group members with wards that each absorb up to 11621 damage for 30 seconds.
Barrier Ultimate costs 250 ultimate and grants you and your allies within 12 meters a large damage shield for 30 seconds. It’s the go-to ultimate when your focus is on survivability, rather than boosting DPS with War Horn.
Replenishing Barrier
Cost:
250 Ultimate
Duration:
30 seconds
Invoke defensive tactics to protect yourself and nearby group members with wards that each absorb up to 11620 damage. Each time a ward dissolves, you restore 4 Ultimate and 1000 Magicka.
New Effect
Each time a ward dissolves you restore Ultimate and Magicka.
The Replenishing Barrier morph is usually the better one. The ultimate it generates will allow you to cast the next Barrier much faster.
Reviving Barrier
Cost:
250 Ultimate
Duration:
30 seconds
Invoke defensive tactics to protect yourself and nearby group members with wards that each absorb up to 11620 damage for 30 seconds. The wards also heal you and your group members for 5370 Health over 15 seconds.
New Effect
Shielded targets heal over time.
Magicka Aid
Increases your Magicka Recovery by 10% for each Support ability slotted.
An extremely good passive that sometimes makes it worth it to frontbar Barrier even when you don't intend to use it, just to boost your Magicka Recovery.
Combat Medic
Increases your healing done by 20% when you are near a Keep.
Battle Resurrection
Reduces the time it takes you to resurrect another player by 30% while you are in a PvP area.
BASE
MORPHS
Passive
Eviscerate
Cost:
2295 Magicka
Range:
7 meters
Rend an enemy, dealing 2323 Magic Damage and applying the Hemorrhaging status effect. Deals up to 33% more damage based on your missing Health.
Arterial Burst
Cost:
2295 Magicka
Range:
7 meters
Rend an enemy, dealing 2399 Magic Damage and applying the Hemorrhaging status effect. Deals up to 33% more damage based on your missing Health. If you use this ability while you are under 50% Health, it will always be a Critical Strike.
New Effect
Will always be a Critical Strike if you cast it while under half Health.
Blood for Blood
Cost:
2295 Health
Range:
7 meters
Rend an enemy, dealing 2323 Magic Damage and applying the Hemorrhaging status effect. Deals up to 75% more damage based on your missing Health. After you cast this ability, you cannot be healed by allies for 3 seconds.
New Effect
Costs Health to cast, but greatly increases the execute scaling. After casting the ability, you cannot be healed by allies for a short duration.
Blood Frenzy
Cost:
360 Health per stack
Allow your monstrous appetites to take hold, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 60 every 2 seconds, up to 5 times. While toggled on, the Health cost of this ability increases by 360 per stack and you cannot be healed by anyone but yourself, your pets, or your Companions.
Sated Fury
Cost:
300 Health per stack
Allow your monstrous appetites to take hold, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 60 every 2 seconds, up to 5 times. While toggled on, the Health cost of this ability increases by 300 per stack and you cannot be healed by anyone but yourself, your pets, or your Companions. When toggled off, you heal for 33% of the total Health cost you spent while active.
New Effect
Reduces the ramping Health cost and when you toggle the ability off, you heal for a portion of the Health cost you spent.
Simmering Frenzy
Cost:
360 Health per stack
Allow your monstrous appetites to take hold, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 80 every 2 seconds, up to 5 times. While toggled on, the Health cost of this ability increases by 360 per stack and you cannot be healed by anyone but yourself, your pets, or your Companions.
New Effect
Increases the Weapon and Spell Damage granted per stack.
Vampiric Drain
Cost:
4320 Magicka
Duration:
3 seconds
Siphon away your enemies' vitality, dealing 870 Magic Damage and healing you for 25% of your missing Health every 1 second for 3 seconds.
Drain Vigor
Cost:
4320 Magicka
Duration:
3 seconds
Siphon away your enemies' vitality, dealing 870 Magic Damage, healing you for 25% of your missing Health, and restoring 10% of your missing Stamina every 1 second for 3 seconds.
New Effect
Restores a portion of your missing Stamina.
Exhilarating Drain
Cost:
4320 Magicka
Duration:
3 seconds
Siphon away your enemies' vitality, dealing 870 Magic Damage, healing you for 25% of your missing Health, and generating 5 Ultimate every 1 second for 3 seconds.
New Effect
Generates Ultimate.
Exhilarating Drain is a 3-second channel that generates 20 ultimate. It can be a great option, but it requires constant channeling, meaning you cannot block. Because of this, it's only an option in easy fights.
Mesmerize
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Duration:
5 seconds
Subdue enemies in front of you with your baleful gaze, stunning them for 5 seconds if they are facing your direction. This stun cannot be blocked.
Hypnosis
Cost:
3510 Magicka
Duration:
5 seconds
Subdue enemies around you with your baleful gaze, stunning them for 5 seconds if they are facing your direction. This stun cannot be blocked.
New Effect
Affects all enemies around you.
Stupefy
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Duration:
5 seconds
Subdue enemies in front of you with your baleful gaze, stunning them for 5 seconds if they are facing your direction. This stun cannot be blocked. After the stun ends they remain stupefied, reducing their Movement Speed by 53% for 5 seconds.
New Effect
Enemies are snared after the stun ends.
Mist Form
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Range:
15 meters
Disperse into a dark mist, causing the next 3 projectiles to deal no damage to you for 1 second while you dash forward and reappear at your target location after a short duration. Casting again within 4 seconds costs 33% more Magicka.
Mist Form allows you to dash ahead and absorb projectiles. It can be very useful in some situations. For example, in Cloudrest, it can entirely absorb Z’Maja’s heavy attack, and in Sanity's Edge, you can use it to kite Yaseyla's Fire Bombs.
Blood Mist
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Duration:
20 seconds
Range:
15 meters
Dissolve into a bloody mist, causing the next 3 projectiles to deal no damage to you for 1 second while you dash forward and reappear at your target location after a short duration. Upon activation you drain the blood of those around you for 20 seconds, dealing 435 Magic Damage every 2 seconds to enemies and healing you for 45% of the damage caused. Casting again within 4 seconds costs 33% more Magicka.
New Effect
Deals damage to enemies around you and heals for a portion of the damage caused for a duration after casting.
Elusive Mist
Cost:
3780 Magicka
Range:
15 meters
Disperse into a dark mist, causing the next 3 projectiles to deal no damage to you for 1 second while you dash forward and reappear at your target location after a short duration. You gain Major Expedition and Major Evasion for 4 seconds after reappearing, increasing your Movement Speed by 30% and reducing damage from area attacks by 20%. Casting again within 4 seconds costs 33% more Magicka.
New Effect
Grants you Major Expedition and Major Evasion after reappearing.
Blood Scion
Cost:
335 Ultimate
Duration:
20 seconds
Transform into a monstrous creature of the night, instantly healing to full Health. While transformed, your Max Health, Magicka, and Stamina are increased by 10000, you heal for 15% of all damage you deal, and you can see enemies through walls.
Perfect Scion
Cost:
320 Ultimate
Duration:
20 seconds
Transform into a monstrous creature of the night, instantly healing to full Health. While transformed, your Max Health, Magicka, and Stamina are increased by 10000, you heal for 15% of all damage you deal, and you can see enemies through walls. You also ascend to Vampire Stage 5, which grants all the benefits of Vampire Stage 4 with none of the drawbacks.
New Effect
You ascend to Vampire Stage 5.
Swarming Scion
Cost:
335 Ultimate
Duration:
20 seconds
Transform into a monstrous creature of the night, instantly healing to full Health. While transformed, your Max Health, Magicka, and Stamina are increased by 10000, you heal for 15% of all damage you deal, and you can see enemies through walls. Bats also swarm around you and shred enemies that come close, dealing 870 Magic Damage every 1 second.
New Effect
Bats swarm around you and deal damage to enemies that come close.
Feed
Allows you to feed on an unsuspecting target, killing them and increasing your Vampire Stage. Higher Stages make you a stronger Vampire at the cost of your humanity. Stages decrease over long periods of time.
Stage 1/2/3/4
Health Recovery: -10%/-30%/-60%/-100%
Flame Damage Taken: +5%/+8%/+13%/+20%
Regular Ability Costs: +3%/+5%/+8%/+12%
Vampire Ability Costs: -6%/-10%/-16%/-24%
Dark Stalker
Ignore the Movement Speed penalty of Sneak. Decreases the time it takes to enter Sneak by 50%.
Strike from the Shadows
When you leave Sneak, invisibility, or Mist Form your Weapon and Spell Damage is increased by 300 for 6 seconds.
Blood Ritual
Allows you to infect another player with Noxiphilic Sanguivoria once every week by returning to the Vampire ritual site. Players already infected with Lycanthropy cannot be infected with Noxiphilic Sanguivoria.
Undeath
Reduces your damage taken by up to 15% based on your missing Health.
Undeath passive reduces your damage taken by up to 15% based on missing health, but you need to be a Stage 3 Vampire to trigger it. However, becoming a Stage 3 Vampire will increase the cost of your non-vampire abilities by 8%, increase your flame damage taken by 13%, and reduce your health recovery by 60%. While it can have niche uses, it severely impacts your sustain and should be avoided in fights with flame damage. This is because the game calculates it wrong (additively), so it'll increase your flame damage taken by approximately 30% instead of 13%, depending on other mitigation sources.
Unnatural Movement
Reduces the cost of Sprint by 50%. If you continuously Sprint for 3 seconds you automatically become invisible.
Keep in mind that the setups I’m going to show are just suggestions and some base to build off of, you will always get better results by adjusting for each fight and in the Skills section I marked every useful skill for you to choose from. The examples category is there to show you how vastly different the final setups can be from the default setups I’m showing.
The "Additional Info" section will have much less information than in the Beginner guide, because in the Advanced guide all of that was already said in the Skills section. For example: all of these setups have Shield Throw, but the Skills section has another taunt - Inner Rage- marked as useful and the explanation describes when you should replace Shield Throw with it.
All Scribing skills shown in these setups use these combinations:
Shield Throw - 
Taunt, 
Sage’s Remedy, 
Maim
Wield Soul - 
Pull, 
Druid’s Resurgence, 
Cowardice
Ulfsild's Contingency - 
Damage Shield, 
Gladiator's Tenacity, 
Intellect and Endurance
Soul Burst - Damage Shield, 
Anchorite's Potency, 
Courage
Trample - 
Magic (anything with Magicka cost, doesn't have to be Magic), 
Assassin's Misery, 
Heroism
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Shield Throw | Slot 1: Razor Caltrops |
| Slot 2: Soul Burst | Slot 2: Wield Soul |
| Slot 3: Igneous Shield | Slot 3: Pulsar |
| Slot 4: Power Bash | Slot 4: Elemental Blockade |
| Slot 5: Hardened Armor | Slot 5: Inner Rage |
| Ultimate: Temporal Guard | Ultimate: Aggressive Horn |
Pierce Armor instead of Shield Throw and Destructive Clench instead of Elemental Susceptibility if you don't have access to ScribingUnrelenting Grip instead of Wield Soul if you don't have access to ScribingCoagulating Blood instead of Soul Burst if you don't have access to Scribing
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Shield Throw | Slot 1: Hardened Armor |
| Slot 2: Stone Giant | Slot 2: Wield Soul |
| Slot 3: Soul Burst | Slot 3: Elemental Susceptibility |
| Slot 4: Ulfsild's Contingency | Slot 4: Elemental Blockade |
| Slot 5: Coagulating Blood | Slot 5: Resolving Vigor |
| Ultimate: Temporal Guard | Ultimate: Aggressive Horn |
Pierce Armor instead of Shield Throw and Destructive Clench instead of Elemental Susceptibility if you don't have access to ScribingDefensive Stance, 
Revealing Flare,
Engulfing Flames
or
Heroic Slash
instead of Ulfsild's Contingency if you don't have access to ScribingUnrelenting Grip instead of Wield Soul if you don't have access to ScribingIgneous Shield instead of Soul Burst if you don't have access to Scribing
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Shield Throw | Slot 1: Igneous Weapons |
| Slot 2: Razor Caltrops | Slot 2: Wield Soul |
| Slot 3: Igneous Shield | Slot 3: Pulsar |
| Slot 4: Ulfsild's Contingency | Slot 4: Elemental Blockade |
| Slot 5: Hardened Armor | Slot 5: Resolving Vigor |
| Ultimate: Temporal Guard | Ultimate: Aggressive Horn |
Pierce Armor instead of Shield Throw and Destructive Clench instead of Elemental Susceptibility if you don't have access to ScribingDefensive Stance, Revealing Flare,
Engulfing Flames
or
Heroic Slash
instead of Ulfsild's Contingency if you don't have access to ScribingUnrelenting Grip instead of Wield Soul if you don't have access to Scribing
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Shield Throw | Slot 1: Igneous Weapons |
| Slot 2: Stone Giant | Slot 2: Wield Soul |
| Slot 3: Hardened Armor | Slot 3: Elemental Susceptibility |
| Slot 4: Ulfsild's Contingency | Slot 4: Elemental Blockade |
| Slot 5: Coagulating Blood | Slot 5: Resolving Vigor |
| Ultimate: Temporal Guard | Ultimate: Aggressive Horn |
Pierce Armor instead of Shield Throw and Destructive Clench instead of Elemental Susceptibility if you don't have access to ScribingIgneous Shield instead of Ulfsild's Contingency if you don't have access to ScribingUnrelenting Grip instead of Wield Soul if you don't have access to Scribing
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Shield Throw | Slot 1: Hardened Armor |
| Slot 2: Stone Giant | Slot 2: Crushing Shock |
| Slot 3: Soul Burst | Slot 3: Elemental Susceptibility |
| Slot 4: Ulfsild's Contingency | Slot 4: Elemental Blockade |
| Slot 5: Coagulating Blood | Slot 5: Resolving Vigor |
| Ultimate: Temporal Guard | Ultimate: Aggressive Horn |
Crushing Shock instead of a chain. The fight requires a ranged interrupt and since it doesn't require a chain (there are adds but they don't have to be chained in) replacing that makes the most sense.
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Shield Throw | Slot 1: Balance |
| Slot 2: Defensive Stance | Slot 2: Ulfsild's Contingency |
| Slot 3: Igneous Shield | Slot 3: Elemental Susceptibility |
| Slot 4: Immovable | Slot 4: Elemental Blockade |
| Slot 5: Coagulating Blood | Slot 5: Resolving Vigor |
| Ultimate: Temporal Guard | Ultimate: Aggressive Horn |
Immovable to survive Devyric's channeled conal lightning breathHelping Hands with Igneous Shield will help you sustain blocking. Igneous Shield is also the only skill providing your group with Minor Brutality by proccing Mountain’s Blessing, because this setup does not use Stone GiantHardened Armor to Balance improves your magicka sustain and it's worth it because this fight revolves mostly around direct damage so damage shields are less optimalUlfsild's Contingency to gain damage reduction, sustain and the ability to shield your teammates through the last phase mechanic
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Shield Throw | Slot 1: Igneous Weapons |
| Slot 2: Stone Giant | Slot 2: Crushing Shock |
| Slot 3: Revealing Flare | Slot 3: Elemental Susceptibility |
| Slot 4: Ulfsild's Contingency | Slot 4: Elemental Blockade |
| Slot 5: Hardened Armor | Slot 5: Resolving Vigor |
| Ultimate: Temporal Guard | Ultimate: Aggressive Horn |
Revealing Flare is crucialHardened Armor is better than spamming Coagulating Blood, so there's no need to slot CoagulatingCrushing Shock to interrupt Bahsei if she starts her channel while you're repositioning
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Inner Rage | Slot 1: Balance |
| Slot 2: Exhilarating Drain | Slot 2: Igneous Weapons |
| Slot 3: Igneous Shield | Slot 3: Elemental Susceptibility |
| Slot 4: Trample | Slot 4: Elemental Blockade |
| Slot 5: Coagulating Blood | Slot 5: Resolving Vigor |
| Ultimate: Temporal Guard | Ultimate: Magma Shell |
Magma. This is the one fight where going with extremely defensive setup is beneficial to your team, because using Magma Shell build and keeping the bosses still is going to be a bigger DPS increase than if you doing the mechanic the intended way (kiting) in a more support oriented setup.Shield Throw for its Major Maim because Reef Guardians will only hit you, not your teammates, and you'll be in Magma Shell anywayExhilarating Drain will allow you generate enough ultimate for almost permanent MagmaIgneous Shield is the only skill providing your group with Minor Brutality, because this setup does not use Stone Giant. It will also generate some ultimate by proccing the Mountain’s Blessing passiveTrample will provide you with Major Heroism, helping you keep up Magma ShellHardened Armor to Balance improves your magicka sustain and it's worth it because Hardened Armor's damage shield won't add much while you're in Magma Shell anyway
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Shield Throw | Slot 1: Igneous Weapons |
| Slot 2: Stone Giant | Slot 2: Cinder Storm |
| Slot 3: Revealing Flare | Slot 3: Elemental Susceptibility |
| Slot 4: Ulfsild's Contingency | Slot 4: Elemental Blockade |
| Slot 5: Hardened Armor | Slot 5: Resolving Vigor |
| Ultimate: Temporal Guard | Ultimate: Aggressive Horn |
Revealing Flare is crucialHardened Armor is better than spamming Coagulating Blood, so there's no need to slot CoagulatingCinder Storm is a great Heal over Time option
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Shield Throw | Slot 1: Igneous Weapons |
| Slot 2: Stone Giant | Slot 2: Cinder Storm |
| Slot 3: Fragmented Shield | Slot 3: Elemental Susceptibility |
| Slot 4: Elusive Mist | Slot 4: Elemental Blockade |
| Slot 5: Coagulating Blood | Slot 5: Resolving Vigor |
| Ultimate: Temporal Guard | Ultimate: Replenishing Barrier |
Fragmented Shield is a decent option for this fight, since healing is the only way of dealing with HemorrhagingElusive Mist is great for kiting Fire BombsCinder Storm will help you outheal Hemorrhaging
| Front Bar | Back Bar |
|---|---|
| Slot 1: Shield Throw | Slot 1: Igneous Weapons |
| Slot 2: Wield Soul | Slot 2: Crushing Shock |
| Slot 3: Hardened Armor | Slot 3: Elemental Susceptibility |
| Slot 4: Ulfsild's Contingency | Slot 4: Elemental Blockade |
| Slot 5: Revealing Flare | Slot 5: Resolving Vigor |
| Ultimate: Replenishing Barrier | Ultimate: Temporal Guard |
Ulfsild's Contingency to shield your teammates from the Poison AoEs so we'll replace Coagulating Blood with Revealing Flare, which will proc 
Magicka Aid passive, increasing your Magicka Recovery and allowing you to spam Contingency moreCrushing Shock to interrupt Enraged FragmentsThis is my suggested setup for dungeons. Since you can't fit in that many support sets in 4-man content, any combination of support sets will perform well.
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Head |
 Archdruid Devyric |
Medium |  Reinforced |
 Tri-Stat |
 Shoulders |
Archdruid Devyric |
Light |  Divines / Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
 Chest |
 Lucent Echoes |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
 Hands |
Lucent Echoes |
Heavy | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
 Belt |
Lucent Echoes |
Heavy | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
 Legs |
Lucent Echoes |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
 Boots |
Lucent Echoes |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
 Necklace |
Powerful Assault |
Jewelry |  Swift |
 Reduce Tri Cost |
 Ring |
Powerful Assault |
Jewelry | Swift |
Reduce Tri Cost |
Ring |
Powerful Assault |
Jewelry | Swift |
Reduce Tri Cost |
 Frontbar Main Hand |
 Void Bash |
Any 1-handed weapon |  Decisive |
 Hardening |
 Frontbar Off Hand |
Void Bash |
Shield | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Backbar Main Hand |
Powerful Assault |
Ice Staff |  Charged |
 Crusher |
Vestments of Olorime instead of Powerful Assault if you're playing without a healer (1 Tank, 3 Damage Dealers group comp)
Turning Tide is a decent alternative for Lucent Echoes
War Machine is a decent alternative for Powerful Assault
Crimson Oath's Rive is a decent alternative for Powerful Assault, but it will be useless for Damage Dealers who already brought enough armor penetration on their ownThis is my suggested setup for dungeons. Since you can't fit in that many support sets in 4-man content, any combination of support sets will perform well.
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Head |
Archdruid Devyric |
Medium | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Shoulders |
Archdruid Devyric |
Light | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Chest |
Lucent Echoes |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Hands |
Lucent Echoes |
Heavy | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Belt |
Lucent Echoes |
Heavy | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Legs |
Lucent Echoes |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Boots |
Lucent Echoes |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Necklace |
Powerful Assault |
Jewelry |  Harmony / Infused |
 Reduce Magicka Cost |
Ring |
Powerful Assault |
Jewelry | Harmony /Infused |
Reduce Magicka Cost |
Ring |
Powerful Assault |
Jewelry | Harmony /Infused |
Reduce Magicka Cost |
Frontbar Main Hand |
 Armor of the Trainee |
Any 1-handed weapon | Decisive |
Hardening |
Frontbar Off Hand |
 Druid's Braid |
Shield | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Backbar Main Hand |
Powerful Assault |
Ice Staff |  Infused |
Crusher |
Armor of the Trainee and 1 piece of Druid's Braid with Puncturing Remedy if you don't have access to Scribing and are using Pierce Armor instead of Shield ThrowVestments of Olorime instead of Powerful Assault if you're playing without a healer (1 Tank, 3 Damage Dealers group comp)Turning Tide is a decent alternative for Lucent EchoesWar Machine is a decent alternative for Powerful AssaultCrimson Oath's Rive is a decent alternative for Powerful Assault, but it will be useless for Damage Dealers who already brought enough armor penetration on their ownThis is my suggested setup for main tanking trials.
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Head |
Archdruid Devyric |
Medium | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Shoulders |
Archdruid Devyric |
Light | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Chest |
 Pearlescent Ward |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Hands |
Pearlescent Ward |
Heavy | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Belt |
Pearlescent Ward |
Heavy | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Legs |
Pearlescent Ward |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Boots |
Pearlescent Ward |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Necklace |
Crimson Oath's Rive |
Jewelry | Swift |
Reduce Tri Cost |
Ring |
Crimson Oath's Rive |
Jewelry | Swift |
Reduce Tri Cost |
Ring |
Crimson Oath's Rive |
Jewelry | Swift |
Reduce Tri Cost |
Frontbar Main Hand |
Armor of the Trainee |
Any 1-handed weapon | Decisive |
Hardening |
Frontbar Off Hand |
Druid's Braid |
Shield | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Backbar Main Hand |
Crimson Oath's Rive |
Ice Staff | Charged |
Crusher |
Armor of the Trainee and 1 piece of Druid's Braid with Puncturing Remedy if you don't have access to Scribing and are using Pierce Armor instead of Shield ThrowCrimson Oath's Rive has 2 bonus armor lines which together will grant you 2974 additional armor. This might allow you shift armor in other parts of your build, like for example switching off of 
The Lady Mundus or changing 
Fortified or 
Bulwark Champion points to something different. Crimson Oath's Rive will be rendered useless if a Damage Dealer in your group is wearing
Alkosh, but it's very unlikely you'll find a Damage Dealer wearing a support set in a random PUG groupThis is my suggested setup for main tanking trials.
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Head |
Archdruid Devyric |
Medium | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Shoulders |
Archdruid Devyric |
Light | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Chest |
Pearlescent Ward |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Hands |
Pearlescent Ward |
Heavy | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Belt |
Pearlescent Ward |
Heavy | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Legs |
Pearlescent Ward |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Boots |
Pearlescent Ward |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Necklace |
Crimson Oath's Rive |
Jewelry | Harmony /Infused |
Reduce Magicka Cost |
Ring |
Crimson Oath's Rive |
Jewelry | Harmony /Infused |
Reduce Magicka Cost |
Ring |
Crimson Oath's Rive |
Jewelry | Harmony /Infused |
Reduce Magicka Cost |
Frontbar Main Hand |
Armor of the Trainee |
Any 1-handed weapon | Decisive |
Hardening |
Frontbar Off Hand |
Druid's Braid |
Shield | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Backbar Main Hand |
Crimson Oath's Rive |
Ice Staff | Infused |
Crusher |
Armor of the Trainee and 1 piece of Druid's Braid with Puncturing Remedy if you don't have access to Scribing and are using Pierce Armor instead of Shield ThrowCrimson Oath's Rive has 2 bonus armor lines which together will grant you 2974 additional armor. This might allow you shift armor in other parts of your build, like for example switching off of The Lady Mundus or changing Fortified or Bulwark Champion points to something different. Crimson Oath's Rive will be rendered useless if a Damage Dealer in your group is wearing
Alkosh, but it's very unlikely you'll find a Damage Dealer wearing a support set in a random PUG groupThis is my suggested setup for off tanking trials.
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Head |
 Magma Incarnate |
Medium | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Shoulders |
 Spaulder of Ruin |
Light | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Chest |
 Saxhleel's Champion |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Hands |
Saxhleel's Champion |
Heavy | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Belt |
Saxhleel's Champion |
Heavy | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Legs |
Saxhleel's Champion |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Boots |
Saxhleel's Champion |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Necklace |
Powerful Assault |
Jewelry | Swift |
Reduce Tri Cost |
Ring |
Powerful Assault |
Jewelry | Swift |
Reduce Tri Cost |
Ring |
Powerful Assault |
Jewelry | Swift |
Reduce Tri Cost |
Frontbar Main Hand |
Armor of the Trainee |
Any 1-handed weapon | Decisive |
Hardening |
Frontbar Off Hand |
Druid's Braid |
Shield | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Backbar Main Hand |
Powerful Assault |
Ice Staff | Charged |
Crusher |
Armor of the Trainee and 1 piece of Druid's Braid with Puncturing Remedy if you don't have access to Scribing and are using Pierce Armor instead of Shield ThrowSaxhleel's Champion allows you to provide Major Force with any ultimate, so you can change your backbar ultimate from
Aggressive Horn
to
Replenishing Barrier
or
Magma Shell
and you'll only lose out on the Horn Resource Buff while providing a defensive ultimate for you and your groupThis is my suggested setup for off tanking trials.
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight/Type | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Head |
Magma Incarnate |
Medium | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Shoulders |
Spaulder of Ruin |
Light | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Chest |
Saxhleel's Champion |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Hands |
Saxhleel's Champion |
Heavy | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Belt |
Saxhleel's Champion |
Heavy | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Legs |
Saxhleel's Champion |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Boots |
Saxhleel's Champion |
Heavy | Reinforced |
Tri-Stat |
Necklace |
Powerful Assault |
Jewelry | Harmony /Infused |
Reduce Magicka Cost |
Ring |
Powerful Assault |
Jewelry | Harmony /Infused |
Reduce Magicka Cost |
Ring |
Powerful Assault |
Jewelry | Harmony /Infused |
Reduce Magicka Cost |
Frontbar Main Hand |
Armor of the Trainee |
Any 1-handed weapon | Decisive |
Hardening |
Frontbar Off Hand |
Druid's Braid |
Shield | Divines /Sturdy |
Tri-Stat |
Backbar Main Hand |
Powerful Assault |
Ice Staff | Infused |
Crusher |
Armor of the Trainee and 1 piece of Druid's Braid with Puncturing Remedy if you don't have access to Scribing and are using Pierce Armor instead of Shield ThrowSaxhleel's Champion allows you to provide Major Force with any ultimate, so you can change your backbar ultimate from
Aggressive Horn
to
Replenishing Barrier
or
Magma Shell
and you'll only lose out on the Horn Resource Buff while providing a defensive ultimate for you and your groupUse these Champion Points as default for Trash and Boss fights respectively. Further below you'll find a list of all useful CPs with explanation on when to use them instead of the defaults.
Warfare
Ironclad (6% Direct Damage Reduction)Duelist's Rebuff (6% ST Damage Reduction)Enduring Resolve (6% DoT Damage Reduction)Bulwark (1900 Armor)Fitness
Boundless Vitality (1400 Max Health)Fortified (1731 Armor)Bastion (15% stronger damage shields)Celerity (10% Movement Speed)
Nord
with fully golded out gear and proper traits you will be over the armor cap with these Champion Points, so you can replace either
Bulwark
or
Fortified. You could replace them with for example
Focused Mending,
Unassailable,
Rejuvenation,
Shield Master,
Sustained by Suffering
or
Ward Master
Warfare
Ironclad (6% Direct Damage Reduction)Duelist's Rebuff (6% ST Damage Reduction)Enduring Resolve (6% DoT Damage Reduction)Bulwark (1900 Armor)Fitness
Boundless Vitality (1400 Max Health)Fortified (1731 Armor)Bastion (15% stronger damage shields)Bracing Anchor (20% Block Mitigation, 16% Movement Speed Penalty)Nord
with fully golded out gear and proper traits you will be over the armor cap with these Champion Points, so you can replace either
Bulwark
or
Fortified. You could replace them with for example
Focused Mending,
Unassailable,
Rejuvenation,
Shield Master,
Sustained by Suffering
or
Ward Master
All useful Champion Points to choose from
Ironclad - reduces damage taken from direct damage attacks by 6%Enduring Resolve - reduces damage taken from damage over time attacks by 6%Duelist’s Rebuff - reduces damage taken from single target attacks by 6%Unassailable - reduces damage taken from area of effect attacks by 6%Bulwark - increases your armor by 1900 while you have a shield or frost staff equipped, which should be at all times anywayFocused Mending - increases your single target healing by 10%. It can boost your Coagulating Blood, Resolving Vigor and Shield Throw's Sage's Remedy
Boundless Vitality - increases your max health by 1400. It's great for your survivability if a fight does not have max HP based damageFortified - increases your armor by 1731. It will help you reach the armor cap and you’re going to need it most of the time, unless you’re wearing some gear that specifically grants you lots of additional armor, like for example Crimson Oath's RiveRejuvenation - increases your Health, Stamina and Magicka Recovery by 90. It's a decent boost to sustain when you have some slots leftSustained by Suffering - increases your health, stamina and magicka recovery by 150, while you have a debuff on yourself. It's a straight up stronger Rejuvenation that only works in some fights, but there’s a decent amount of fights where you'll have a constant debuff on yourselfCelerity - increases your movement speed by 10%. It's great for fights where you have to constantly move around, it can also be used to offset Bracing Anchor’s movement speed penaltyBastion - increases the strength of your damage shields by 15%. It will boost your Hardened Armor, Igneous Shield, Replenishing Barrier, Ulfsild's Contingency and Soul Burst. It’s especially good in fights with lots of DoTsShield Master - decreases cost of your damage shields by 10%. It will reduce the Magicka cost of your Hardened Armor, Igneous Shield, Ulfsild's Contingency and Soul Burst by a decent amount. It will also reduce the Ultimate cost of Replenishing Barrier if you choose to use it.Bracing Anchor - increases your block mitigation by 20% and reduces your movement speed by 16%. It's great for fights with constant direct blockable damage. You shouldn't combine it with Immovable, as the two movement speed penalties combined will reduce your movement speed to 0, making you unable to move or even dodge roll.Ward Master - reduces your damage taken by 10% while blocking under the effect of a damage shield. It will drain your stamina by forcing you to permablock, but it can be worth it in fights with absurd incoming damage that normally isn’t affected by block, such as for example Flame-Herald BahseiOn Guard - increases your block mitigation by 10% while under the effects of Crowd Control Immunity. It will synergize with Immovable if you choose to use it, granting you even more block mitigation during that 6 second windowArcane Alacrity - reduces cost of your dodge roll by 800 while under the effect of a damage shield. Extremely nicheExpert Evasion - grants you a free dodge roll once every 30 seconds. Extremely nicheNord is by far the best race for tanking, due to the increased armor from
Rugged
and ulti generation from
Stalwart. You can complete any content on any race, you'll just have to work slightly harder with other races, and you'll have to adjust your build and get more armor from somewhere else (for example by using
The Lady
as your Mundus rather than
The Atronach).
The best Mundus is
The Atronach
which increases your Magicka Recovery by 310 and causes your armor pieces with the Divines trait to increase it by another 28.
If you're struggling with reaching the armor cap (33,000), then
The Lady
can also be a decent choice. It increases your Armor by 2744.
HEALTH
64
STAMINA
0
MAGICKA
0
Majority of the times you should put all your points into Health. However you need your Max Stamina to be higher than your Max Magicka, because the
Combustion
synergy restores your dominant resource and you want it to be Stamina. Because of that, you might have to put some attribute points into Stamina if you have passives (such as for example the
Gift of Magnus
racial) or item set bonuses (such as for example 1-piece bonus of
Encratis's Behemoth) that increase your Max Magicka. Put just enough points to make your Max Stamina higher than your Max Magicka, and then put the rest into Health.
The best food is
Orzorga's Smoked Bear Haunch, however it's extremely expensive so you should use
Jewels of Misrule
instead, it provides only slightly lower stats than
Orzorga's Smoked Bear Haunch
while being significantly cheaper.
Other decent foods:
Orzorga's Red Frothgar
- provides more Max Health and Magicka Recovery at the cost of providing no Stamina Recovery at all. Stamina Recovery doesn't work while blocking so it can be a decent option if you're permablocking
Bewitched Sugar Skulls
- provides maximum resources instead of recoveries, can be decent for fights where you need to block for a very long time during a very specific period but the pressure is non-existent outside of that specific period so you can recuperate stamina by heavy attacking freely, for example Roksa the Warped boss in Bal Sunnar dungeon. The increased maximum resources will also increase the scaling of some of your healing abilities, such as
Coagulating Blood
and
Resolving Vigor
Candied Jester's Coin
- provides only Max Stamina and Magicka Recovery, can be decent when you want to reduce your Max Health during a specific phase of a fight. For example, in Cloudrest you can eat it right as the execute phase starts, because Maximum Health becomes a detriment due to the Baneful Mark mechanic
Most of the time you should use Tri-Stat potions (Restore Health, Restore Stamina, Restore Magicka). They'll greatly improve you sustain. You can craft them by combining
Columbine,
Bugloss
and
Mountain's Flower.
There are better potions but they're extremely expensive so they're only worth using when you're tryharding for the most difficult achievments, such as trial trifectas. Heroism potions (Heroism, Restore Stamina, Restore Magicka) can provide a 100% uptime on Minor Heroism buff which generates ultimate, but they're extremely expensive because they're crafted by combining
Dragon Rheum,
Dragon's Blood
and
Columbine.
Check out the Beginner Guides before reading
Beginner Tank Build & Guide
Beginner Dragonknight Tank Build & Guide