Unleash your full potential as the best gear sets in Elder Scrolls Online with our comprehensive guide to the top gear sets. We break down the best options for early game, heavy attack damage builds, and essential support sets for optimized group play. Dive into the top 10 five-piece sets that will skyrocket your damage output, and explore the power of mythic sets that bring game-changing effects to your arsenal. Conquer the realm with our ultimate guide to DPS gear in Elder Scrolls Online and become a force to be reckoned with.

 

• Great Sets for Early Game
• Top Heavy Attack Sets
• Top DPS Support Sets
• Top 10 DPS 5pc Sets
• Top DPS Mythics
• Top Ability-Altering (Arena) Weapons
• Conclusion

 

 

↖ Great Sets for Early Game

Craftable sets and sets available from guild traders that provide good damage and can be used as temporary sets while farming for other sets. Some of these sets can also be viable for end-game content.

 

Gear Collection in ESO

ESO's gear progression is designed horizontally, meaning there are different sets that excel in different situations. While there are sets that are more powerful than others, gear selection depends on the encounter and playstyle. Collecting a variety of sets is like having a toolkit, allowing you to choose the best tools for each job. The expectation for obtaining sets in this guide is not a linear progression but rather finding sets suitable for different situations.

 

Easy to Get Early (Crafted)

• Orders Wrath: The best overall craftable set for DPS, providing solid stats and crit chance. It can be crafted in light or medium armor.
• Heartland Conqueror: Unique five-piece bonus doubles the effectiveness of weapon traits. Useful for leveling Champion points or new characters.
• Shattered Fate: New set from the Necrom chapter can be crafted as a five, ten, or twelve-piece set. Provides solid stats for starting out but may be outclassed in optimized group play.

 

Easy to Get Early (Overland):

• Mother Sorrow: Drops in Deshaan and provides crit chance. Universal for all DPS classes.
• War Maiden: Drops in Vvardenfell and enhances magic damage. Suitable for magic-based classes like Templars, Nightblades, and Sorcerers.

 

Best Options for Early Game

• Leviathan: Stamina equivalent of Mother Sorrow, drops in Crypt of Hearts dungeon.
• War Maiden: Niche set for classes with a large percentage of magic damage.

 

Easy to Get Early (BiS or A-Tier Later)

• Deadly Strike: This set can be purchased in Cyrodiil with Alliance points or bought from a guild trader with ESO gold. It is one of the best sets for Templars, as it boosts their damage over time abilities and main spammable skill, Puncturing Strikes. It also enhances their strong executability, Radiant Destruction. With the introduction of The Arcanist, this set is also great for this class. Deadly Strike works well as an always active set or as a front bar only set. It can be expensive, so consider obtaining it before the prices increase.
• Briarheart: This medium set can be obtained in Rothgar. While it is not as common in the end-game as Deadly Strike, it is a good burst set, providing 450 weapons and spell damage for 10 seconds. This set is more suitable for stamina builds, offsetting the slightly lower weapon and spell damage compared to the popular magic set, Burning Spellweave. It can be used as a back bar or front bar set for burst scenarios.
• Venomous Smite: This medium set from Western Skyrim is often overlooked compared to other options. While the proc damage is not as strong as other common sets, the size of the set is appealing, with a 6-meter radius centered on the target. The two to four-piece bonuses are also good. It works well as a two-handed back bar set, triggering off crits while Stampede lasts. It can also be used as a front bar set, but be mindful of potential triggers on undesired targets. It is an Overland set, easily obtained from guild traders.

 

↖ Top Heavy Attack Sets

Sets specifically designed to enhance heavy attack damage. These sets are ideal for builds that rely heavily on heavy attacks for damage output.

 

• Sergeant's Mail: This set from Wayrest Sewers is the cornerstone for heavy attack builds. It is ideal for running this set on a lightning staff, two jewelry pieces, and a heavy chest piece to minimize the number of heavy armor pieces. The chest benefits the most from being heavy armor.
• Storm Master: Another medium armor option from Tempest Island, Storm Master is suitable for optimized encounters where penetration from light armor is not required. It works well for practising on trial dummies with Alkosh present to remove 6K armor from the Iron Atronach dummy.
• Noble Duelist Silks: This light armor set from Blessed Crucible is easy to keep up with and provides a significant bonus for heavy attacks. It is great for burst scenarios.
• Infallible Mage: This light armor set from Craglorn trials offers a strong three-piece minor Slayer bonus, which is beneficial if you don't play on console. The three-piece minor vulnerability can also be useful, especially for solo play or non-optimized groups. In organized groups, this bonus may be redundant, making it less commonly used.
• Dotted Infiltrator and Undaunted Unweaver: These sets can also work well for heavy attack builds. Infiltrator is a medium armor set that synergizes with stamina-heavy builds. Undaunted Unweaver, on the other hand, requires a stamina costing ability to be effective. Consider these options based on your build and playstyle.

 

↖ Top DPS Support Sets

Commonly used support sets for damage dealers in optimized group play. These sets are not limited to tanks and healers and can provide valuable bonuses to DPS characters.

 

• Elemental Catalyst: This light armor set from the Stone Garden DLC dungeon is highly popular for DPS in group play. It provides 15 extra crit damage to the entire group as long as you damage the enemy with a flame, shock, or frost skill every three seconds. It is commonly used on Templars and works well with their kit. Note that the set requires actual skills to proc, and pet damage does not count.
• Roar of Alkosh: This medium trial set from Maw of Lorkhaj is beneficial for the entire group. Every time you take a Synergy, you hit all enemies in front of you with a shockwave that lowers their armor by 6K. It is important to have a steady flow of synergies to maximize uptime. Unique synergies, such as the undaunted orb and Templar's purify synergy, can help in maintaining this set.
• Zen's Redress: This light armor set from the Lair of Maarselok requires only light attacks to apply the Touch of Zen debuff on an enemy, causing them to take additional damage for 5 seconds. The debuff can stack up to 5 times, providing a 5% damage increase. Sticky dot abilities that directly apply to the target count for the debuff.
• War Machine and Master Architect: These sets, medium and light armor, respectively, from the Halls of Fabrication trial, provide major Slayer to you and your five closest teammates for 1 second for every 10 ultimate spent when casting your ultimate. They are great for shorter encounters and specific scenarios.
• Martial Knowledge: This light armor set from Craglorn provides an additional 8% damage to enemies when your stamina is below 50. It is challenging to manage as it requires keeping stamina low. Consider pairing it with the Coral Riptide set, which is easily activated with low stamina.
• Morag Tong: This set is not commonly used in standard group compositions but can be beneficial if your group has many bow users. It provides a flat 10% boost to all poison abilities, which aligns well with the poison damage in bow kits.

 

↖ Top 10 DPS 5pc Sets

The ten best five-piece sets overall for DPS. These sets should be a top priority for players starting a new account or looking to optimize their damage output.

 

• Deadly Strike: Deadly Strike is an excellent set for both stamina-based Nightblades and Templars. It provides a significant boost to your critical damage and is relatively easy to obtain. This set should be a top priority for players looking to maximize their damage output.
• Arms of Relequen: Arms of Relequen is a medium armor set that can be obtained from the Cloudrest trial. This set is the best option for single target damage and applies a damage-over-time effect that can stack up to 10 times. It is essential to weave light attacks to maximize the damage from this set. While the perfected version provides a slight stamina bonus, it is optional for optimal performance.
• Siroria's Boon: Siroria's Boon is a light armor set that can be obtained from the Cloudrest trial. This set provides a significant boost to spell damage when you are standing in your own created areas of effect. It is an excellent option for Magicka-based damage dealers who can effectively control their positioning during fights.
• False God's Devotion: False God's Devotion is a light armor set that can be obtained from the Sunspire trial. This set provides a substantial boost to Magicka's recovery and reduces the cost of Magicka's abilities. It is an excellent choice for Magicka-based damage dealers who need help with resource management.
• Mother's Sorrow: Mother's Sorrow is a light armor set that can be obtained from the Deshaan zone. This set provides a significant boost to spell critical, increasing your chances of landing critical hits with your Magicka abilities. It is a popular choice for Magicka-based damage dealers.
• Vicious Ophidian: Vicious Ophidian is a medium armor set that can be obtained from the Sanctum Ophidia trial. This set provides a substantial boost to stamina recovery and reduces the cost of stamina abilities. It is an excellent option for stamina-based damage dealers who struggle with resource management.
• Tzogvin's Warband: Tzogvin's Warband is a medium armor set that can be obtained from the Frostvault dungeon. This set provides a significant boost to weapon critical, increasing your chances of landing critical hits with your stamina abilities. It is a popular choice for stamina-based damage dealers.
• Briarheart: Briarheart is a medium armor set that can be obtained from the Wrothgar zone. This set provides a substantial boost to weapon damage and has a chance to heal you when you deal critical damage. It is an excellent option for stamina-based damage dealers who want to increase their survivability.
• Perfected Arms of Relequen: The Perfected Arms of Relequen set is the perfected version of the Arms of Relequen set mentioned earlier. It provides the same benefits but with a slight increase in stamina. While not essential for optimal performance, it can be obtained for those looking to maximize their damage output.
• Perfected False God's Devotion: The Perfected False God's Devotion set is the perfected version of the False God's Devotion set mentioned earlier. It provides the same benefits but with a slight increase in Magicka's recovery. While not necessary for optimal performance, it can be obtained for those looking to maximize their Magicka sustain.

 

↖ Top DPS Mythics

Powerful one-piece items that can only be worn one at a time. These mythic sets can provide significant boosts to DPS and are obtained through the Antiquity system.

 

• Harpooner's Wading Kilt: This medium-weight mythic set offers a substantial damage boost with its 5% crit chance and 10% crit damage at full stacks. However, it is important to note that you lose stacks when taking direct damage. While it may not be ideal for solo play or dungeons with random damage, it shines in Trials, where direct damage is minimal for DPS players.
• Velothi's Magistrates Amulet: This mythic provides 1650 penetration, a damage bonus against monsters, a minor force buff, and reduced light and heavy attack damage. It is particularly useful for players who struggle with light attack weaving, as the damage bonus compensates for the reduced light attack damage. In single-target fights or AoE-heavy encounters, this mythic can be beneficial for various classes.
• Mora's Whispers: This light shoulder piece provides a 7% increased crit chance and additional XP bonuses based on the number of books collected from Shalador's Library. While farming the books can be time-consuming, this mythic set offers a strong bonus for players who want an easy-to-use set without any conditions or stacks.
• Ring of the Pale Order: Designed for solo play, this mythic set restores 20% of the damage dealt as health but restricts healing from others. This allows players to focus on dealing with damage rather than healing themselves. It is highly effective in solo Arenas, Overland content, and world bosses, but its power needs to grow in larger group sizes.
• Oakensoul: This mythic set provides a substantial boost to damage and tankiness, locking players into using only one skill bar. It is perfect for one-bar builds and revolutionizes gameplay by making one-bar setups viable for all content. With a permanent empower bonus, heavy attack damage increases by 70%.
• Thrassian Stranglers: These light gloves grant stacks of weapon and spell damage with every killing blow, stacking up to 50 times. While it requires landing killing blows, making it less common in Trials, it excels in Maelstrom Arena, Black Rose Prison, and certain dungeons. The stacks drop off under specific conditions, adding an element of risk to the gameplay.
• Sea Serpent's Coil: This ring provides a snare effect, which can be mitigated by speed boosts like Solarity Champion Point node and major Expedition. It offers a 10% damage bonus with major berserk, although there are now other sources for major berserk in the game. This set may be less commonly used, but it remains strong if players can benefit from both bonuses.

↖ Top Ability-Altering (Arena) Weapons

Special weapons that augment specific abilities from the weapon skill lines. These weapons can enhance the effectiveness of certain abilities and are available for different weapon types.

 

Destruction Staves:

• Maelstrom Arena Staff (Crushing Wall): Boosts the damage of your wall of elements by 12.50%. This is great for AOE encounters.
• Masters Staff (Destructive Impact): Reduces the cost of destructive touch by 10 and increases your weapon and spell damage by 600 for 4 seconds. Great for ice staff magic ward builds.

 

Bows:

• Masters Bow (Caustic Arrow): Increases your weapon and spell damage by 330 against targets affected by your poison arrow. Ideal for single-target damage.
• Maelstrom's Bow (Thunderous Volley): Increases damage over time for each tick of damage. Best for AOE damage.

 

Dual Wield:

• Black Rose Prison Arena Set (Spectral Cloak): Deals damage with blade cloak, grants spectral cloak for 2 seconds, reducing damage taken and increasing damage done by 6%.
• Vatashran Hollows Arena Set (Executioner's Blade): Hidden blade skill deals up to 250% more damage to targets under 100 health when attacking from behind. Restores stamina if the target is below 50 health.

 

Two-Handed:

• Maelstrom Arena Set (Merciless Charge): Fills in a back bar spot but doesn't provide significant damage increase compared to other two-handed weapons.
• Masters Two-Hander (Titanic Cleave): Increases direct damage of cleave by 1550 for each enemy in the cone. Strong for AOE damage, especially against dense enemy packs.

 

↖ Conclusion

Mastering the top DPS gear sets in Elder Scrolls Online is crucial for maximizing your damage output and becoming a formidable force in the game. With our guide, you have gained valuable insights into the various gear options available, ranging from craftable sets to powerful mythic items. We have covered sets for early game progression, heavy attack builds, and top support sets for group play. Additionally, we have highlighted the top 10 five-piece sets that should be a priority for any DPS player. By equipping yourself with the right gear and ability-altering weapons, you can unleash your full potential and dominate the battlefield. So, venture forth into the world of Elder Scrolls Online armed with this knowledge and prepare to leave a trail of destruction in your wake.