Are you ready to enter the world of Elder Scrolls Online and start a new class of Arcanists? With the Arcanist finally on the public test server, we have been busy parsing, figuring out the build, and running through various trials and arenas. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about unleashing the power of the Arcanist in PvE.

Keep in mind that this information is subject to change, but we have already put together some builds and templates for you, which you can find in the description below. 

• Introduction
• Strengths & Weaknesses
• Skill Line
• Gear Sets

↖ Introduction

The Arcanist is set to launch on June 5th on PC, and we can already tell you that in a PvE context, this class absolutely melts health bars. However, the gameplay is quite different from what you might be used to, so we're here to explain it all. So, let's jump into the game and show you the Arcanist in action. And you'll be able to see some gameplay of how it looks and functions, including taking down the final boss of Vatashram Hollow. 

↖ Strengths & Weaknesses

One particular morph of the Arcanist provides CC immunity, which is helpful in PvP, but it is mainly used as a last resort. The Arcanist has fantastic debuffs that are great for tanks, and it is evolving rune skill looks deceptive but is actually quite useful for burst healing. 

However, the class lacks on-demand healing skills while doing damage, which means that players must use a couple of heels to compensate. The Arcanist's Restrictive Domain or Zen's Empowering Disk is a game-changer because it provides a room with minor courage and other buffs. 

Additionally, the Arcanist has a healing skill that requires aim, which can be challenging for healers to use. The Apocryphal Gate is currently bugged, which limits its usefulness. The class has a unique buff, the Minor Evasion, which is helpful for the group in dungeons and trials. Overall, the Arcanist is a class with unique strengths and weaknesses, and We suggest players be aware of its capabilities.

↖ Skill Line

The Arcanist skill line is centred around building up cruxes to deal more damage and increase duration. However, it doesn't have built-in healing, and its main ability, Exhausting Fake Harbor, doesn't heal or offer damage reduction. To make it effective, you will need to use the Pay Order mythic.

Here's a step-by-step guide to using the Arcanist skill line effectively:

• Use your main spam ability to build up cruxes. The first ability plays a very important role in the entire skill line.
• Use Tentacular Dread to debuff the enemy, increase damage to enemies, and immobilize them.
• Consume all three cruxes and use Tentacular Dread again to ramp up your damage. Remember that this ability has a 0.3-second cast time and is magic-based.
• Once you have built up your cruxes again, use Exhausting Fake Harbor, which is a massive AOE channel. The longer you have your cruxes, the more powerful this beam becomes.
• Use your class-specific items, such as Harold's Home, which increases damage dealt by status effects by 15 and increases physical and spell penetration by slotting it.
• Take advantage of the rune of displacement ability, which deals good area-of-effect damage over time and has an explosive effect similar to the dark convergence skill. Use the synergy to make it ideal for group play, and put it on your back bar to ensure that you always have one of Harold's Home abilities on your bar.
• Stack either magic or stamina, but remember that your off-stat is equally valuable. Use an inferno staff on the back bar to take advantage of the elemental status effect.
• Use damage-over-time abilities like the unstable wall, stampede, or deadly cloak with a back bar dual wield, and use a healing or shield ability like resolving vigour or shooting star.
• Remember that some of the critical abilities, like a fake carver, will determine the cost by what your max resource is. Choose the range that works best for you, along with the attribute choices.
• Finally, use whirling blades for stamina users, which deals damage in a radius and has an execute component, but consider using a deadly cloak instead. Use inner light for your magic build to pump up your max magic and keep the build simpler.

↖ Gear Sets

Gear sets play a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of your character's build. Here's a guide to some popular gear sets to help you make informed choices for your playstyle:

• Deadly Strikes - This set is great for PvE Templars, as it increases damage over time and channel abilities by 15%. It works well with beam abilities and is an excellent choice for players who want to focus on channelled abilities.
• Falcon Scoria - Another set that works well with beam abilities, Falcon Scoria, is a great option for those who want to increase their spell critical strike chance and damage.
• Perfected Claw of Yolnahkriin - This set is highly recommended for tanks, as it provides them with extra resistance, ultimate generation, and group support.
• Reliquance - This set is best for players who want to build and consume cruxes to proc important passes, such as the Syntacular Dread ability.
• New Mythic and Trial Gear Sets - ESO is constantly adding new gear sets, so it's worth testing them out to see if they suit your playstyle. Some sets offer a constant damage boost, while others give you a boost when you bash and interrupt.

When choosing gear sets, keep in mind that some sets require light attack weaving, which will be less impactful while in a channel. For example, Reliance requires light and heavy attacks, but the stacks fall off after five seconds, making it less effective while in a channel. Instead, focus on sets like Deadly Strikes or Falcon Scoria, which can be easily proceed with your beam ability.

It's also worth considering your body sets, such as using Perfected Claw of Yolnahkriin or going back to a 2H weapon on your back bar to help with your low ESO gold and resources .

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the Arcanist skill line is excellent for solo PVE content with built-in AOE and great single-target damage, making it a great choice if you have a healer. Use the above guide to master the skills and abilities of this class effectively.