Welcome to our guide on the Warden class in The Elder Scrolls Online . In this guide, we'll provide new players with a detailed overview, tips and tricks of the Warden class, highlighting its unique strengths, roles, skills, and passives. Additionally, we have crafted four sample builds for tanking, magicka DPS, stamina DPS, and healing roles, ensuring that you're well-equipped to excel in the diverse world of Tamriel. 

 

• Key Strengths 
• Overview & Difficulty Rating
• Skills and Passives
• Sample Builds
  • Tank Build
  • Stamina DPS Build
  • Magicka DPS Build
  • Healer Build

 

 

↖ Key Strengths 

• Passive Buffs: Wardens receive passive buffs to frost and magic damage, which can be utilized in various builds, such as magicka DPS frost Wardens and magicka detonation healers.
• Resource Regen and Sustain: The Betty skill in the Animal Companion skill line provides essential resource regeneration and is a cornerstone for every Warden build. Depending on the morph chosen (Betty Netch or Blue Betty), it restores either stamina or magicka, making it a game-changer for resource management.
• Buff and Debuffs: Wardens bring a plethora of buffs and debuffs to the table. Skills like Frost Cloak provide Major Resolve, Impaling Shards immobilizes enemies, and Fungal Growth offers Minor Intellect and Minor Endurance to enhance resource recovery.
• Powerful Passives: Warden passives are exceptionally powerful, granting damage buffs, resource recovery, and snares reduction. For example, stacking animal companion abilities on your bar provides damage bonuses and minor berserk.

 

↖ Overview & Difficulty Rating

Before delving into the specific roles and builds, let's assess the difficulty of playing a Warden. We'll also explore the various roles a Warden can excel in.

 

Difficulty Rating

The Warden class is generally considered middle-of-the-road in terms of difficulty. Warden DPS roles are relatively easy to play, with a straightforward rotation and significant damage output. However, tanking and healing with a Warden require more skill and strategy, making them better suited for experienced players.

 

Roles

• Magicka DPS: Warden excels in magicka DPS, offering high single-target damage and excellent sustain. The class passives and skills are tailored for efficient damage output.
• Stamina DPS: Wardens make great stamina DPS characters due to their versatile Animal Companion skills. Bleed builds with abilities like Cutting Dive and Growing Swarm are popular among stamina DPS Wardens.
• Tank: Wardens are considered one of the best tank classes, offering excellent resistances, debuffs, buffs, and self-healing capabilities. Frost Cloak and Arctic Wind provide key benefits for Warden tanks.
• Healer: Warden healers possess powerful burst heals and heals over time. Their healing tree is a powerhouse, offering minor intellect, minor endurance, and substantial healing output.

 

↖ Skills and Passives

Now, let's delve into the Warden class's skills and passives, exploring each skill and its morphs, as well as the crucial passives that enhance your abilities.

 

Animal Companion

• Dive: Deals magic damage and can set enemies off balance if more than seven meters away. Morphs into Cutting Dive for stamina DPS and Screaming Cliff Racer for magicka DPS.
• Scorch: Morphs into Subterranean Assault for stamina DPS and Deep Fissure for magicka DPS. Subterranean Assault is a powerful AoE attack, while Deep Fissure applies major breach.
• Swarm: Morphs into Maturation and Growing Swarm. Maturation grants minor vulnerability to enemies, while Growing Swarm provides significant magic damage over time.
• Betty Netch: Morphs into Blue Betty for magicka DPS and Bull Netch for stamina DPS or tanking. Blue Betty restores magicka and provides major sorcery and major brutality.
• Falcon Swiftness: Morphs into Bird of Prey, which provides a minor berserk buff for increased damage, and Deceptive Predator for minor evasion. Bird of Prey is often preferred for its damage boost.
• Feral Guardian: A powerful ultimate morphed into Northern Storm for damage and Permafrost for snare potency.

 

Green Balance

• Fungal Growth: Morphs into Enchanted Growth for healers and Soothing Spores for stamina-based healing. Enchanted Growth offers a significant heal and provides minor intellect and minor endurance.
• Healing Seed: Morphs into Budding Seed for an AoE heal over time or Corrupting Pollen for a minor defile effect on enemies.
• Living Vines: Morphs into Leeching Vines for minor lifesteal from enemies or Living Trellis for healing the lowest health ally over time.
• Lotus Flower: Morphs into Green Lotus for stamina DPS or Lotus Blossom for healers. Green Lotus increases healing and critical rating for stamina builds, while Lotus Blossom enhances spell critical.
• Nature's Grasp: Morphs into Bursting Vines for teleportation or Nature's Embrace for damage and healing. These skills are less commonly used.
• Secluded Grove: Morphs into Enchanted Forest for healers and Healing Thicket for tanking. Enchanted Forest generates ultimate and provides significant healing, while Healing Thicket offers an efficient heal for healers.

 

Winter's Embrace

• Frost Cloak: Morphs into Expansive Frost Cloak for a larger radius and major resolve. Alternatively, choose Ice Fortress for minor protection.
• Impaling Shards: Morphs into Gripping Shards for an AoE effect and major breach, or Winter's Revenge for single-target magic damage.
• Arctic Wind: Morphs into Arctic Blast for damage or Polar Wind for healing. Arctic Wind is a potent self-healing skill with a heal-over-time effect.
• Crystalized Shield: Morphs into Shimmering Shield for magicka restoration and major heroism, or Crystalized Slab for damage reflection.
• Frozen Gate: Morphs into Frozen Retreat for teleportation or Frozen Device for damage reduction to enemies.
• Sleet Storm: A strong ultimate morphed into Northern Storm for damage or Permafrost for enhanced snare effects.

 

↖ Sample Builds

In this section, we'll provide four sample builds for different Warden roles: tank, stamina DPS, magicka DPS, and healer. Each build focuses on specific skills and passives to optimize performance in the selected role.

 

↖ Tank Build

The Warden tank is a formidable protector with high health and excellent resistance. This setup is beginner-friendly and recommended for those who want to learn tanking in ESO. We'll cover race, attributes, skills, passives, and gear.

 

Race, Attributes, and Mundus Stone

• Race: Nord is recommended for its increased health and resistance. However, other races like Argonian or Imperial can work well too.
• Attributes: Allocate 48 points into health and 16 into magicka.
• Mundus Stone: Use the Lord Mundus Stone for additional max health, which will boost your survivability.

 

Skills and Abilitie

Back Bar	Front Bar
Blockade of Frost: Provides crowd control and damage shields. Ice Fortress: Grants major resolve and minor protection to bolster your defenses. Inner Rage: A ranged taunt from the undaunted line. Bull Netch: Restores stamina and increases weapon and spell damage. Deep Fissure: Applies major breach for debuffing enemies. Eternal Guardian (Ultimate): A powerful healing ultimate.	Pierce Armor: Single target taunt with major and minor breach. Frozen Device: Used for pulling enemies and applying major maim. Shimmering Shield: Absorbs projectiles and grants major heroism. Polar Wind: A self-heal that can be cast on an ally. Gripping Shards: Immobilizes enemies and deals frost damage. Permafrost (Ultimate): An ultimate for crowd control and protection.

 

Passives

• Max out all animal companion, winter's embrace, and green balance passives.
• Consider passives in the destruction staff, one-handed and shield, heavy armor, medium and light armor, undaunted, and racial passives.

 

Item Sets

• Rothgar: Increases offensive penetration, armor, and max health while immobilizing enemies. Use Infused on the chest and Reinforced or Sturdy for gloves, belt, shoes, and legs.
• Frozen Watcher: Deals frost damage and provides extra control, activated by blocking.

 

Champion Points

• Warfare: Ironclad, Duelist's Rebuff, Unassailable, Enduring Resolve
• Red Tree: Rejuvenation, Fortified, Sustained by Suffering
• Green Tree: Distribute points as needed for passive buffs

 

Rotation: Tanking in ESO doesn't have a strict rotation. Your primary focus is taunting, debuffing, and crowd control. Ensure your group's survival and manage your resources effectively.

 

↖ Stamina DPS Build

The Stamina DPS Warden is a versatile damage dealer that can excel in both single-target and AoE situations. Here, we'll cover race, attributes, skills, passives, and gear.

 

Race and Attributes

• Consider races like Khajiit, Orc, or Redguard for a stamina DPS build.
• Allocate 64 points into stamina.

 

Skills and Abilities

Back Bar Skills	Front Bar Skills
Endless Hail: A damage-over-time ability. Poison Injection: A damage-over-time and execute ability. Growing Swarm: Applies bleed damage and minor vulnerability. Bull Netch: Provides major brutality and sorcery. Training Assault: Deals poison damage and works well in area of effect situations. Wild Guardian (Ultimate): A potent ultimate.	Cutting Dive: A spammable ability that deals bleed damage. Reverse Slices: An execute ability. Stampede: Useful for closing in on enemies. Carve: Deals bleed damage. Bird of Prey: Provides minor berserk.

 

Passives

Max out all animal companion, green balance, winter's embrace, weapon, bow, medium armor, light armor, undaunted, and racial passives.

 

Item Sets

• Leviathan: Boosts critical chance and increases damage of your bleed attacks.
• Blood Drinker: Enhances critical chance and boosts damage of your bleed attacks.
• Prior Ethereal: Provides extra damage to area effect abilities.

 

Champion Points

• Warfare: Fighting Finesse, Deadly Game, Thaumaturge, Master-at-Arms
• Red Tree: Rejuvenation, Survival Instincts, Siphoning Spells, Sustained by Suffering
• Green Tree: Allocate points according to your preference

 

Rotation: There isn't a strict rotation for stamina DPS in ESO. Your primary focus is to maintain damage over time abilities, use your spammable, and execute when the target is below 50% health. Pay attention to light attacks between skills.

 

↖ Magicka DPS Build

The Magicka DPS Warden excels in dealing frost damage and is a flexible choice for both single-target and AoE damage. We'll cover race, attributes, skills, passives, and gear.

 

Race and Attributes

• Consider races like High Elf, Breton, or Khajiit.
• Allocate 64 points into magicka.

 

Skills and Abilities

Back Bar Skills	Front Bar Skills
Unstable Wall Frost: Use this as your primary area of effect ability. Energy Orb: Provides healing and resources for allies. Lotus Blossom: Heals and increases critical rating. Blue Betty: Restores magicka and provides major brutality and sorcery. Elemental Drain: Debuffs enemies with minor magic steal and major breach. Aggressive War Horn (Ultimate): A powerful ultimate for group damage.	Healing Springs: Offers healing and resource restoration. Combat Prayer: Provides burst healing and damage buffs. Enchanted Grove: Delivers healing over time and resource recovery. Budding Seeds: A great heal-over-time spell. Living Trellis: Healing over time that triggers a burst heal. Healing Thicket (Ultimate): An essential healing ultimate.

 

Passives

Max out all animal companion, green balance, winter's embrace, destruction staff, light armor, medium armor, undaunted, and racial passives.

 

Gear:

• Spell Power Cure: Boosts healing and grants major courage.
• Winter's Respite: Creates a circle of healing frost on the ground, providing healing.
• Sentinel of Rkugamz: Offers increased healing and resource restoration.

 

Champion Points:

• Warfare: Soothing Tide, Swift Renewal, Fighting Finesse, Living Overflow
• Red Tree: Survival Instincts, Rejuvenation, Siphoning Spells, Sustained by Suffering
• Green Tree: Allocate points based on your preferences

Rotation: Magicka DPS Wardens don't follow strict rotations either. Focus on keeping up your damage over time abilities, heal-over-time skills, and ensuring that your group members are supported. Use your burst heals as needed.

 

↖ Healer Build

The Warden healer is an excellent choice for group support, providing both strong heals and utility. We'll cover race, attributes, skills, passives, and gear.

 

Race: High Elf, Argonian, Breton, or your preference

 

Attributes: Magicka: 64 points

 

Skills and Abilities

Back Bar	Front Bar
Unstable Wall Frost: Frost area of effect ability. Energy Orb: Provides healing over time and restores resources. Lotus Blossom: Grants Major Prophecy and enhances light and heavy attacks. Blue Betty: Restores magicka and provides Major Sorcery and Brutality. Elemental Drain: Applies Minor Magickasteal and Major Breach. Aggressive War Horn (Ultimate): Powerful group support ultimate.	Healing Springs: Heals and restores magicka to you and your allies. Combat Prayer: Burst heal that increases damage dealt. Enchanted Growth: Burst heal with recovery buffs. Budding Seeds: Heals over time with a burst heal on activation. Living Trellis: Strong heal over time with a burst heal. Healing Thicket (Ultimate): A powerful healing ultimate.

 

Passives:

• Animal Companion: Recommended for all passives
• Winter's Embrace: All passives
• Green Balance: Get all passives if you desire
• Restoration Staff: All passives
• Light Armor: All passives
• Guilds: Undaunted passives
• Racial: Utilize your racial passives

 

Gear:

• Spell Power Cure (5 pieces): Increases spell power and applies Major Courage.
• Winter's Bite (5 pieces): Applies a healing frost circle.
• Sentinel of Rkugamz (Monster Set): Provides increased healing and resource return.

Champion Points:

• Warfare: Soothing Tide, Swift Renewal, Fighting Finesse, Living Overflow
• Red Tree: Survival Instincts, Rejuvenation, Siphoning Spells, Sustained by Suffering
• Green Tree: Allocate points based on your preferences

 

Healing Approach: Healing in ESO is reactive and situation-dependent. Keep your healing over time abilities active, make good use of your burst heals, and ensure that group members are well-supported. Focus on resource management and group coordination.

 

Previous: ESO Templar Class Beginner Guide | 2023

 

Conclusion:

The Warden class in ESO is known for its flexibility and utility, making it a great choice for players who enjoy a variety of roles. With the provided information on skills, passives, and sample builds, you're well-equipped to start your journey as a Warden in The Elder Scrolls Online. Experiment with different builds and playstyles to find the one that suits you best, and don't forget to adapt your character to your preferred playstyle and role in the game. Enjoy your adventures in Tamriel as a master of the Warden class!