ESO Heavy Attack Warden Build: Master the 121k DPS Rotation

 

Ultimate Guide to a 121k DPS Warden Build in ESO

Introduction

In The Elder Scrolls Online, maximizing your damage per second (DPS) is essential for top-tier content like veteran trials and competitive parsing. Among the most effective builds currently available is the Magicka Warden heavy attack setup, capable of delivering up to 121k DPS with the right execution. This guide breaks down the full details of this powerful build—from gear selections and skill priorities to parsing strategies and situational modifications.

Unlike easier alternatives such as the heavy attack Sorcerer build, this Warden configuration rewards precision and understanding of Empower mechanics, set synergies, and class-specific passives. If executed properly, even players with slightly imperfect rotations can achieve exceptional results that rival more accessible builds.

In this professional breakdown, you’ll find:

• An optimized gear list, including mandatory and situational sets

• A comprehensive skill guide tailored for maximum uptime and output

• Effective rotation strategies for trials and dummy parsing

• Champion point allocations and Mundus Stone recommendations

• Tips on consumables and race choices to further refine your setup

Whether you're a veteran looking to push leaderboard scores or a serious player aiming to increase your trial contribution, this guide provides everything you need to master the heavy attack Warden DPS build in ESO.

Gear Setup & Synergies

To unlock the full potential of the ESO Warden DPS build, careful gear selection is crucial. This setup revolves around amplifying heavy attacks through synergistic effects from sets and passives, with an emphasis on sustain, raw damage, and uptime of key buffs.

Primary Gear Setup:

• Surgeon’s Mail (5 pieces)
  This is the core of the build, offering an essential boost to heavy attack damage through the Empower buff. The set synergizes directly with the Might of the Guild passive from the Mages Guild.

• Ansul's Construct (5 pieces)
  Complements Surgeon’s Mail by adding powerful offensive stats and strong utility for dummy parses and single-target trials.

• Crushing Wall (Maelstrom Staff - back bar)
  Boosts the damage of Elemental Blockade, enhancing weapon enchant uptime and contributing significant AoE pressure.

• Monster Set (Iceheart or Slimecraw for parsing)
  Choose Iceheart for additional defense or Slimecraw for maximum critical chance during parses.

Situational Set Alternatives:

• Mora’s Whispers + Slimecraw (1 piece): Effective where lore books support bonus crit.

• Domihaus / Dojhas: Options if you lack the lore book support needed for Mora’s Whispers.

• Suzan’s Torment: Best for trash packs and AoE-heavy encounters.

• Highland Sentinel: Ideal for stationary fights, amplifying damage significantly if movement is limited.

Stat Considerations:

• Armor Weight Distribution: Prefer medium for penetration bonuses; light is acceptable for increased magicka sustain if no group penetration is provided.

• Weapon Choice: Lightning Staff (back bar) for AoE, Inferno Staff for single-target parsing with frost enchant.

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Skills & Passives Overview

The skill setup focuses on maximizing uptime of Empower and other key damage multipliers. The heavy attack Warden build benefits from class synergies such as Piercing Cold and Glacial Presence.

Core Skills:

• Ol’s Contingency (Frost, Lingering Torment, Force)
  Your main source of Empower, also grants Minor Force. Should be timed to maximize Empower uptime during heavy attacks.

• Deep Fissure
  Deals high burst damage and triggers Advanced Species, increasing critical damage.

• Barbed Trap
  Adds a DOT and applies the Hemorrhage status effect. Also grants Minor Force and triggers the Slayer passive.

• Inner Light
  Boosts max Magicka by 7%. Keep slotted unless replacing it with situational defensive skills.

• Bull Netch
  Grants Major Brutality and Sorcery. Also cleanses debuffs every 5 seconds.

• Arctic Blast & Elemental Susceptibility
  Both interact with Glacial Presence, boosting damage and enabling more efficient heavy attack windows.

• Elemental Blockade
  Enhances back bar enchantment uptime and synergizes with Crushing Wall.

• Wild Guardian (Ultimate)
  A bear pet that deals consistent damage. Can be activated for burst damage below 25% enemy health.

Situational Skills

Situational flexibility is essential for endgame ESO content. This build allows for skill slot customization depending on encounter needs. When adjustments are necessary, Inner Light is typically the slot to replace.

Situational Abilities:

• Resolving Vigor
  A reliable self-heal that also grants Minor Resolve, reducing damage taken.

• Living Trellis
  Heals when damage is taken and again at the end of its duration. It’s spammable and can target allies.

• Winter’s Revenge
  Swap in place of Barbed Trap during AoE-heavy fights for sustained ground damage and synergy with chilled effects.

• Camouflaged Hunter
  Optional front bar skill if scribing or magicka regen isn’t an issue; also grants Major Savagery and Minor Berserk.

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Rotation Priorities & Combat Flow

There’s no rigid rotation here; instead, follow a priority system that ensures critical buffs and DOTs are always active.

Basic Rotation Principles:

• Recast skills when they expire, prioritizing:

  1. Ol’s Contingency (for Empower uptime)

  2. Deep Fissure

  3. Elemental Blockade

  4. Barbed Trap or Winter’s Revenge

  5. Elemental Susceptibility

  6. Arctic Blast

  7. Bull Netch (only every 30 seconds)

• Time heavy attacks so that they finish as off-balance immunity ends, allowing you to fit 3 heavy attacks per off-balance window.

• Use Wild Guardian whenever it’s available, especially when an enemy is under 25% HP for the execute damage.

• Pre-buff with Ol’s Contingency, Bull Netch, Deep Fissure, and Arctic Blast before entering combat for maximum burst potential.

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Champion Points Allocation

Optimizing your Champion Points (CP) significantly boosts DPS and survivability. These selections enhance both heavy attack performance and sustain.

Blue Tree (Warfare):

• Weapons Expert (+20% heavy and light attack damage)

• Deadly Aim (+6% single target damage)

• Master-at-Arms (+6% direct damage)

• Exploiter (+10% damage to off-balance targets)

Replace Deadly Aim with Biting Aura for AoE-focused content.

Red Tree (Fitness):

• Boundless Vitality (+1400 max health)

• Fortified (+1731 armor)

• Celerity (+10% movement speed)

• Rejuvenation (+90 recovery to all resources)

These points help sustain heavy attack uptime and ensure survivability in high-pressure trial environments.

Optimal Race Selection for Warden DPS

Race plays a minor, yet measurable role in damage output. The DPS gap between the best and worst race is around 5%, meaning it's flexible for casual players, but can make a difference in competitive parsing.

Best Races for Group Content:

• High Elf – Offers the highest Magicka-based DPS potential through increased spell damage and sustain.

• Dark Elf – Slightly more stamina sustain, making it versatile for hybrid builds.

• Khajiit – Excellent for critical-heavy rotations, particularly in four-player content.

Viable Alternatives:

• Breton – Strong sustain, ideal for longer fights or less optimized groups.

• Orc – Offers burst damage and movement speed benefits, with decent magicka support.

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Mundus Stone & Attribute Allocation

Mundus Stone:

• The Thief – Increases critical chance, preferred in groups with adequate penetration support.

• The Lover – Use this only when your group lacks penetration buffs or you're running light armor to compensate.

Attributes:

• All 64 points into Magicka – Maximizes damage scaling and resource pool for ability usage.

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Consumables for Maximum Performance

Food Buffs:

• Artaeum Pickled Fish Bowl – Increases both max health and max magicka. Best all-around option.

• Solitude Salmon-Millet Soup – Budget-friendly choice for practice parses.

• Tomato Garlic Chutney – Grants only magicka, ideal for raw DPS parsing on trial dummies.

Potions:

• Spell Power Potions – Grants Major Sorcery and Major Prophecy. Essential for DPS.

  • Ingredients: Cornflower, Lady’s Smock, Namira’s Rot

• Armor Potions – Boost defense if Inner Light is replaced, though at a small DPS cost.

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Parsing Optimization Tips

To hit the 121k DPS ceiling, strict execution and optimal gear use are required.

Key Optimizations:

• Use Highland Sentinel in dummy parses where you can remain stationary.

• Switch back bar weapon to Inferno Staff for single-target fights.

• Use Frost Enchant for better tick damage on single-target setups.

• Pre-buff appropriately before starting the parse.

• Monitor Empower uptime strictly – delays or early casts will lower overall DPS.

Personal Parse Benchmarks:

• 121k DPS – With Highland Sentinel and frost enchant optimization.

• 116.8k DPS – Standard build with Ansul's Construct and lightning staff.

Conclusion

This ESO heavy attack Warden DPS build provides one of the most powerful parsing potentials currently available, reaching up to 121k DPS under optimal conditions. By leveraging Surgeon's Mail, the Empower buff, and Warden-exclusive passives like Piercing Cold, this build transforms heavy attacks into a reliable source of sustained and burst damage.

With the flexibility to adapt gear, skills, and champion points based on the content you're facing, this guide ensures that both group-focused and solo players can benefit from the versatility and strength of the Magicka Warden.

To recap:

• Focus on gear synergy to maintain Empower uptime.

• Keep rotation priority simple and responsive rather than rigid.

• Use situational sets like Highland Sentinel or Suzan’s Torment for specific encounters.

• Optimize your Mundus, race, and consumables for the scenario at hand.

This guide is also available in written format on the author's official site, providing direct access to parses and additional setup variations for live ESO content.

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