Arcanist Subclassing DPS PvE Build ESO
Build Written By: Dottz Gaming – PC NA
Role: Damage Dealer
Patch: Season of the Worm Cult (Update 46)
Table of Contents
Introduction
Welcome to Dottzgaming.com’s ESO Arcanist Subclassing Build for PvE DPS! This build is intended for Trials, Dungeons and general PvE content.
This Arcanist subclassing build combines key skills from Nightblade (Assassination), Templar (Dawn’s Wrath), and Arcanist (Herald of the Tome) to create a strong and flexible PvE damage setup. You’ll get the burst of Nightblade, helpful utility from Templar, and high-impact abilities from Arcanist. This build is at its strongest when Arcanist is the base class due to being able to use Banner Bearer with the Class Mastery signature script (for extra crux generation), allowing this setup to deliver maximum damage across all types of group PvE content.
Setup
Gear
| Arcanist PvE Build – Best Overall Setup | |||||
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight | Trait | Enchant | Acquisition |
| Head | Tide-Born Wildstalker | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Crafted |
| Shoulders | Slimecraw | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Undaunted Chest |
| Gloves | Ansuul’s Torment | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Vet Sanity’s Edge |
| Legs | Ansuul’s Torment | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Vet Sanity’s Edge |
| Chest | Ansuul’s Torment | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Vet Sanity’s Edge |
| Belt | Ansuul’s Torment | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Vet Sanity’s Edge |
| Boots | Ansuul’s Torment | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Vet Sanity’s Edge |
| Necklace | Velothi Ur-Mage’s Amulet | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Weapon/Spell Damage | Antiquities |
| Ring | Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Weapon/Spell Damage | Crafted |
| Ring | Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Weapon/Spell Damage | Crafted |
| Weapon 1 | Tide-Born Wildstalker | Dagger | Nirnhoned | Poison | Crafted |
| Off-Hand 1 | Tide-Born Wildstalker | Dagger | Charged | Flame | Crafted |
| Weapon 2 | Merciless Charge | 2h Sword | Infused | Berserker | Vet Maelstrom Arena |
| Arcanist PvE Build – Beginner Setup | |||||
| Gear Slot | Set | Weight | Trait | Enchant | Acquisition |
| Head | Selene | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Vet Selene’s Web |
| Shoulders | Selene | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Undaunted Chest |
| Gloves | Order’s Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Crafted |
| Legs | Order’s Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Crafted |
| Chest | Order’s Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Crafted |
| Belt | Order’s Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Crafted |
| Boots | Order’s Wrath | Medium | Divines | Stamina | Crafted |
| Necklace | Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Weapon/Spell Damage | Crafted |
| Ring | Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Weapon/Spell Damage | Crafted |
| Ring | Tide-Born Wildstalker | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Weapon/Spell Damage | Crafted |
| Weapon 1 | Tide-Born Wildstalker | Dagger | Nirnhoned | Poison | Crafted |
| Off-Hand 1 | Tide-Born Wildstalker | Dagger | Charged | Flame | Crafted |
| Weapon 2 | Tide-Born Wildstalker | 2h Sword | Infused | Berserker | Crafted |
Attributes
All in stamina!
Skills
Main bar – Dual Wield: Pragmatic Fatecarver, Cephaliarch’s Flail, Quick Cloak, Radiant Glory, Banner Bearer, Incapacitating Strike
Back bar – Two Handed: Stampede, Solar Barrage, Relentless Focus, Inspired Scholarship, Banner Bearer, The Languid Eye
Scribing Skill Script (Banner Bearer): Focus script: Shock Damage | Signature Script: Class Mastery | Affix Script: Savagery and Prophecy
NOTE: If you do not like Radiant Glory, feel free to swap it to Killer’s Blade.
Champion Points
The list below showcases the slottable CP stars you should be taking. The Warfare CP perks increase your damage and mitigation and are the most important, the Fitness tree has some miscellaneous sustain and defensive perks and the Craft tree has crafting and non-combat bonuses. The Craft CP points are entirely customizable to however you want.
CHAMPION POINT SETUP
WARFARE (BLUE)
- Master-at-Arms – Increased direct damage
- Wrathful Strikes – Increased weapon/spell Damage on abilities
- Exploiter – Increased damage against off-balance enemies
- Biting Aura – Increased damage with area-of-effect attacks
FITNESS (RED)
- Boundless Vitality – Increased health
- Rejuvenation – Increased health/magicka/stamina recovery
- Bloody Renewal – Restores Stamina on enemy kill
- Fortified – Increased Armor
Other Important Info
Buff Food
- Braised Rabbit with Spring Vegetables: Increase Health and Stamina
- Recommended food for the build
- Artaeum Takeaway Broth: Increase Max Health, Health Recovery, Max Stamina & Stamina Recovery
- Good if you feel you need more sustain. Dubious Camoran Throne is the budget version of this food.
Mundus
Thief – Increases Critical Chance
Race
- Dark Elf (recommended)
- Khajiit
- Orc
- High Elf
Potions/Poisons
Essence of Health (Restore Health, Magicka and Stamina)
Bugloss, Columbine and Mountain Flower
Passives
Class (all), Racial (all), Dual Wield (All), Two-Handed (All), Medium Armor (All), Alchemy (Medicinal Use), Undaunted (All), Alliance War Support (All)
Resource Management & Rotation
- The best way to play this build is with a dynamic rotation: applying all buffs / debuffs / DoTs and then re-applying them right before they expire. If none of those things need to be done, use Cephaliarch’s Flail to build Crux and Pragmatic Fatecarver to spend them.
- Once your target hits ~30% HP, you want to add Radiant Glory into the rotation while still maintaining buffs, debuffs and DoTs.
- Relentless Focus is there for the passive bonus and does not need to be activated for the damage.
- Look to cast your ultimate on cooldown during each fight to maximize your damage. You should be using Incapacitating Strike in Single Target situations, and The Languid Eye in AoE situations.
- Activate your potions on cooldown, this will ensure you have zero sustain issues, and you will have high uptimes on your recovery buffs!
Contact
If you have any questions about the build, join our discord server and ask @Dottz about the build!
Update Log
- 5/8/2025 – Build created
- 6/5/2025 – Build updated for Season of the Worm
