[Top 3] ESO Best Warden Builds for PvE

What is the Warden?

The Warden is a versatile class in The Elder Scrolls Online, known for its unique nature-based abilities. It excels in harnessing the power of ice, nature, and wildlife, offering players a blend of offensive and defensive capabilities. Wardens are recognized for their ability to adapt to various playstyles, making them a popular choice among ESO players.

Warden Importance in PvE?

Wardens play a crucial role in PvE content due to their exceptional versatility and utility. They bring a combination of healing, damage, and crowd control to groups, making them valuable assets in dungeons, trials, and group-based adventures. With access to powerful heals, damage-dealing abilities, and supportive buffs, Wardens contribute significantly to the success of PvE encounters.

Warden Strengths:

• Animal Companions: Wardens can summon powerful animal allies like a bear or a swarm of cliff racers, providing additional damage and support in combat.
• Frost Abilities: With a focus on frost magic, Wardens can control the battlefield by freezing enemies, reducing their movement, and protecting allies.
• Green Balance: This skill line offers potent healing abilities, making Wardens effective main or off-healers in group content.
• Winter's Embrace: Wardens can summon protective ice shields and AoE damage abilities, adding crowd control and defensive options to their toolkit.
• Swarm Ultimate: The Warden's ultimate ability, the "Swarm," unleashes a swarm of insects that damages and debuffs enemies, making it a powerful choice for both single-target and group encounters.
• Nature's Grasp: Wardens can manipulate nature to root enemies, control the pace of battles, and create strategic advantages.
• Sleet Storm Ultimate: This AoE ultimate ability provides a defensive snowstorm, reducing enemy damage and providing protection to allies.
• Bursting Vines: A healing ability in the Green Balance skill line, Bursting Vines rapidly heals allies, making Wardens effective in supporting their group's survival.
• Subterranean Assault: Wardens can unleash a powerful ground AoE attack, inflicting damage and debuffs on enemies, contributing to both damage and crowd control.
• Enchanted Growth: This healing ability not only restores health but also boosts the recipient's Magicka and Stamina recovery, showcasing the Warden's resource support capabilities.

Magicka Warden PvE Build: DPS

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Because melting foes with celestial fire is just another way to say 'good morning, Tamriel!

How This Build Works:

This build leverages Damage over Time (DoT) skills for sustained damage, maximising output while efficiently managing resources. The incorporation of shields, heals, and sustain abilities makes it beginner-friendly yet potent for seasoned players.

What Magicka Warden Excels In:

The ESO Magicka Warden PvE Build excels in its strategic playstyle, utilising a rotation that prioritises DoTs for consistent high DPS. Its adaptability in solo and group scenarios, along with exceptional sustain through Blue Betty, makes it a top-tier choice for PvE engagements.

• Versatile Playstyle: Balancing DoTs and spammable skills provides flexibility in combat scenarios, ensuring sustained damage output.
• Strategic Execution: Execute skills at specific health percentages enhance damage, showcasing the build's precision in critical moments.
• Survivability Tools: Well-timed heals and shields ensure survival, with resource management tips for optimal performance.
• AoE Dominance: AoE DoT skills like Mystic Orb and Blockade of Frost contribute to massive group damage, enhancing overall efficiency.
• Mythic Gear Dominance: The Harpooner’s Wading Kilt mythic gear, strategically integrated, amplifies the build's DPS potential.

Build Details:

• Class: Warden
• Weapons: Frost Staff (Front and Back Bar)
• Armour Types: 2 Medium, 5 Light
• Mythic Gear: Harpooner’s Wading Kilt
• Race: Khajiit
• Attributes: 64 Magicka
• Mundus Stone: Thief

Front Bar Skills: Frost Staff

• Deep Fissure: Unleash a powerful ground-based shockwave, damaging and immobilising enemies in its path.
• Fetcher Infection: Inflict your target with a debilitating disease, reducing their resistances over an extended duration.
• Bird of Prey: Transform into a bird of prey, gaining increased movement speed, stamina recovery, and detection capabilities.
• Screaming Cliff Racer: Summon a shrieking cliff racer that seeks out and damages your enemies.
• Barbed Trap: Set a trap that, when triggered, immobilises and deals damage over time to enemies in the area.
• Wild Guardian (Ultimate): Conjure a powerful bear companion to fight alongside you, dealing damage and providing support.

Back Bar Skills: Frost Staff

• Mystic Orb: Create an orb that synergizes with allies, restoring resources and dealing damage to enemies upon activation.
• Elemental Susceptibility: Target foes with elemental vulnerability, increasing the damage they take from flame and frost attacks.
• Harness Magicka: Form a protective barrier, absorbing magicka-based damage and replenishing your own resources.
• Winter’s Revenge: Unleash a wintry explosion, dealing damage and immobilising enemies in the area.
• Blockade of Frost: Cast a frost-based barrier that lingers, inflicting cold damage and applying crowd control effects.
• Wild Guardian (Ultimate): Summon a formidable bear companion, reinforcing your back bar with damage and assistance.

Passive Skills:

• Winter’s Embrace
• Animal Companions
• Green Balance
• Destruction Staff
• Light Armor
• Medium Armor
• Undaunted
• Fighter's Guild
• Racial
• Alliance War Support
• Alliance War Assault
• Crafting, Alchemy Medicinal Use

Gear:

• Head: Zaan (Divines, Medium, Magicka)
• Shoulders: Zaan (Divines, Light, Magicka)
• Chest: Perfect Whorl of the Depths (Divines, Light, Magicka)
• Legs: Harpooner’s Wading Kilt (Divines, Medium, Magicka)
• Gloves: Perfect Whorl of the Depths (Divines, Light, Magicka)
• Boots: Perfect Whorl of the Depths (Divines, Light, Magicka)
• Belt: Perfect Whorl of the Depths (Divines, Light, Magicka)
• Weapon One (Front Bar): Frost Staff (Pillar of Nirn, Charged, Frost)
• Weapon Two (Back Bar): Frost Staff (Perfect Whorl of the Depths, Infused, Spell Damage)
• Jewellery: Pillar of Nirn (Bloodthirsty, Spell Damage)

Flex Options:

• Zaan, Kra’gh
• Stormfist
• Perfect Whorl of the Depth
• Kinra’s Wrath
• Perfected Arms of Relequen
• Perfected Coral Riptide
• Order’s Wrath
• Leviathan
• Mora’s Whisper
• Death Dealer’s Fete

Race:

• Khajiit (Top-tier damage due to passive critical damage bonus)
• Dark Elf (Great all-around, lacks resource sustain)

Attributes:

• Health: 0
• Stamina: 0
• Magicka: 64

Mundus Stone:

• Thief (Increases Critical Strike rating by 1212)

Champion Points:

Warfare:

• Fighting Finesse
• Deadly Aim
• Master-at-Arms
• Wrathful Strikes

Fitness:

• Fortified
• Boundless Vitality
• Rejuvenation
• Sprinter
• Hero’s Vigor

Craft:

• Steed’s Blessing
• Breakfall
• Wanderer
• Steadfast
• Treasure Hunter
• Rationer
• Liquid Efficiency

Consumables:

Food:

• Clockwork Citrus Filet
• Witchmother’s Brew
• Ghastly Eye Bowl

Potions:

• Essence of Spell Power (Ingredients: Cornflower, Lady’s Smock, Namira’s Rot)

Stamina Warden PvE Build: Tank

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Unleashing the 'Jabs of Justice,' proving that sometimes, the best defense is a fearsome offense!

How This Build Works:

The Stamina Warden excels in dealing relentless damage through a meticulous rotation. Harness the potency of Damage over Time skills (DoTs), such as The Degeneration from Mages Guild or the Barb Trap from Fighters Guild, to maximise your DPS. Master the balance between maintaining DoTs and utilising your spammable skill strategically, ensuring a relentless assault on your foes.

What Stamina Warden Excels In:

In the hands of a skilled player, the Stamina Warden PvE build transforms into a force to be reckoned with. Its power lies in the fusion of high AOE damage, sustained survivability, and efficient resource management. This build's versatility makes it suitable for both beginners and seasoned players alike.

• Formidable AOE Damage: The build boasts exceptional AOE damage capabilities, allowing you to decimate hordes of enemies swiftly and efficiently.
• Exceptional Sustain: With carefully selected skills and rotations, the Stamina Warden ensures a steady stream of resources, granting you the endurance needed for prolonged battles.
• Strategic Execution: Execute skills become devastating as opponents' health dwindles. Masterfully replace your main spammable skill with executes between 35% and 20%, ensuring maximum damage output.
• Survivability at Its Core: Leverage the healing skill when your health dips below 50%, and anticipate incoming damage with a well-timed shield. This build prioritises survival without compromising on damage.
• Resource Mastery: Efficiently manage your resources by incorporating heavy attacks into your rotation. Utilise off-balance enemies for double resource returns, ensuring sustained performance in extended engagements.

Build Details:

• Class: Warden
• Weapons: Frost Staff (Front Bar), Two-Handed (Back Bar)
• Armour Types: 5 Medium, 2 Light
• Mythic: Harpooner’s Wading Kilt
• Race: Khajiit
• Attributes: 64 Stamina
• Mundus Stone: Thief

Front Bar Skills: Frost Staff

• Deep Fissure (Morph of Scorch | Skill Line: Animal Companions) – AOE and single target damage.
• Fetcher Infection (Morph of Swarm | Skill Line: Animal Companions) – Potent damage over time ability.
• Bird of Prey (Morph of Falcon’s Swiftness | Skill Line: Animal Companions) – Passive minor berserk for increased damage.
• Cutting Dive (Morph of Dive | Skill Line: Animal Companions) – Reliable single target main spammable.
• Arctic Blast (Morph of Arctic Wind | Skill Line: Winter’s Embrace) – AOE damage, stun, and burst heal.
• Ultimate: Wild Guardian (Morph of Feral Guardian | Skill Line: Animal Companions) – Strong single target ultimate, essential for sustained damage.

Back Bar Skills: Two-Handed

• Barbed Trap (Morph of Trap Beast | Skill Line: Fighters Guild) – Immobilizes target, procs minor force buff, and deals single target damage.
• Carve (Morph of Cleave | Skill Line: Two-Handed) – Main spammable with stacking DoT.
• Winter’s Revenge (Morph of Impaling Shards | Skill Line: Winter’s Embrace) – AOE DoT with chilled status effect.
• Stampede (Morph of Critical Charge | Skill Line: Two-Handed) – AOE damage over time with significant impact.
• Resolving Vigor (Morph of Vigor | Skill Line: Assault) – Selfish heal for enhanced survivability.
• Ultimate: Wild Guardian (Morph of Feral Guardian | Skill Line: Animal Companions) – Maintain on both bars for continuous damage output.

Passive Skills:

• Winter’s Embrace
• Animal Companions
• Green Balance
• Destruction Staff
• Two-Handed
• Light Armor
• Medium Armor
• Undaunted
• Fighter's Guild
• Racial
• Alliance War Support
• Alliance War Assault
• Crafting
• Alchemy Medicinal Use

Gear:

• Head: Zaan (Divines, Medium, Stamina)
• Shoulders: Zaan (Divines, Light, Stamina)
• Chest: Pillar of Nirn (Divines, Medium, Stamina)
• Legs: Harpooner’s Wading Kilt (Divines, Medium, Stamina)
• Gloves: Pillar of Nirn (Divines, Medium, Stamina)
• Boots: Pillar of Nirn (Divines, Medium, Stamina)
• Belt: Perfect Whorl of the Depths (Divines, Light, Stamina)
• Weapon One: Dagger – Perfect Whorl of the Depths (Nirnhoned > Precise, Fire)
• Secondary: Dagger – Pillar of Nirn (Charged, Poison)
• Weapon Two: 2H Sword – Pillar of Nirn (Infused, Weapon Damage)
• Necklace: Perfect Whorl of the Depths (Bloodthirsty, Weapon Damage)
• Ring 1: Perfect Whorl of the Depths (Bloodthirsty, Weapon Damage)
• Ring 2: Perfect Whorl of the Depths (Bloodthirsty, Weapon Damage)

Flex Options:

• Zaan: High DPS monster helm for devastating single-target damage.
• Kra’gh: A versatile option, providing penetration and solid single-target damage.
• Stormfist: Reliable and easily obtainable AoE DPS set.

Race:

• Khajiit – Optimal for raw damage, offering bonuses to all three resources and additional critical damage.
• Dark Elf – Reasonable for those switching between magic and stamina builds, providing good damage with some sustain.

Attributes:

• Health: 0
• Stamina: 64
• Magicka: 0
• Mundus Stone:
• Thief – Increases the Critical Strike rating by 1212

Champion Points:

Warfare: 

• Fighting Finesse
• Deadly Aim
• Master-at-Arms
• Wrathful Strikes

Fitness: 

• Bloody Renewal
• Boundless Vitality
• Rejuvenation
• Fortified

Craft: 

• Treasure Hunter
• Liquid Efficiency
• Gifted Rider
• Steed’s Blessing

Consumables:

Food:

• Artaeum Takeaway Broth Effect: Increase Max Health by 3326, Health Recovery by 406, Max Stamina by 3080, and Stamina Recovery by 338 for 2 hours. (Scaled based on your level)
• Dubious Camoran Throne Effect: Increase Stamina Recovery by 319, Max Stamina, and Max Health by 3192 for 2 hours. (Scaled based on your level)
• Lava Foot Soup-And-Saltrice Effect: Increase Max Stamina by 4575 and Stamina Recovery by 457 for 2 hours. (Scaled based on your level)

Potions: 

• Essence of Weapon Damage Best for Damage: Grants major brutality, increasing weapon damage by 20% for 47.6 seconds. Major savagery provides 2191 weapon critical rating for 47.6 seconds. Restores 7582 stamina immediately and offers major endurance, boosting stamina recovery by 20% for 47.6 seconds.

Healer Warden PvE Build: Healer

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When saving lives is your side gig, but making enemies explode in divine confetti is the real fun!

How This Build Works:

The Warden PvE Healer Build revolves around efficient healing, utilising a complete set of tools for group gameplay. The build's key strengths lie in its diverse buffs, healing over time, and robust toolkit for team support. With a focus on maintaining buffs and strategically using healing abilities, this build ensures top-tier healing for the entire group. Whether you're stationary or on the move, the Warden Healer has the flexibility to excel in various scenarios, making it a formidable choice for any group content.

What Heal Warden Excels In:

In the hands of a skilled player, the ESO Warden PvE Healer Build becomes a beacon of support and vitality for the group. The combination of unique class abilities and carefully chosen gear sets allows for unparalleled healing potential. The build's emphasis on resource sustain, status effects, and versatile healing mechanics makes it a reliable and powerful choice for those who master its intricacies.

• Versatile Healing: The build shines in its ability to adapt to various scenarios, providing consistent and effective healing whether your group is on the move or stationary.
• Resource Sustain: With a focus on heavy attacks and synergies, the Warden Healer ensures that both you and your allies have ample resources, contributing to sustained group performance.
• Buffs and Debuffs: The build's toolkit includes powerful buffs and debuffs, enhancing damage output, resistances, and overall group efficiency.
• AoE Healing Mastery: Through skills like Illustrious Healing and Budding Seeds, the build excels in delivering area-of-effect healing, crucial for group survivability in challenging encounters.
• Ultimate Support: The Reviving Barrier ultimate not only provides massive damage shields but also applies healing over time, making it a game-changer in critical moments. Coordinating the use of Aggressive Horn enhances group damage significantly.

Build Details:

• Class: Warden
• Weapons: Restoration Staff (Front Bar), Frost Staff (Back Bar)
• Armour Types: 7 Light
• Race: Breton
• Attributes: 64 Magicka
• Mundus Stone: Atronach

Front Bar: Restoration Staff

• Illustrious Healing (Morph of Grand Healing | Skill Line: Restoration Staff): Main AoE heal over time with a substantial radius. Maintain this heal, especially when stationary. Also employed to trigger sets requiring a ground-cast ability.
• Combat Prayer (Morph of Blessing of Protection | Skill Line: Restoration Staff): Vital AoE heal applying Minor Berserk and Minor Resolve, boosting damage output and resistances. Apply these buffs regularly; use it as your primary spammable.
• Fetcher Infection (Morph of Swarm | Skill Line: Animal Companions): Primarily used for debuffing the primary target, introducing minor vulnerability for an extended duration.
• Energy Orb (Morph of Necrotic Orb | Skill Line: Undaunted): Core resources sustain synergy for allies. Offers a potent AoE heal over time; keep the orb active near your allies.
• Radiating Regeneration (Morph of Regeneration | Skill Line: Restoration Staff):  Excellent multi-target heal over time ability, especially effective in mobile encounters. Assists in triggering specific healer sets; use the ability liberally to cover multiple targets.
• Reviving Barrier (Morph of Barrier | Skill Line: Support): Ultimate providing massive damage shields to group members. Shielded members also receive healing over time. Yields extra Magicka Recovery through the Support skill line passive when slotted.

Back Bar: Frost Staff

• Budding Seeds (Morph of Healing Seed | Skill Line: Green Balance): Remarkable AoE heals with healing over time. Can be activated again after casting for an instant burst heal. Allies can activate a synergy for additional healing over time.
• Echoing Vigor (Morph of Vigor | Skill Line: Assault): Use on the back bar to trigger Powerful Assault and expend stamina for a potent area heal over time that stacks with others.
• Overflowing Altar (Morph of Blood Altar | Skill Line: Undaunted): Provides substantial healing during stationary fights.
• Expansive Frost Cloak (Morph of Frost Cloak | Skill Line: Winter’s Embrace): AoE armour buff applying Major Resolve to enhance Physical and Spell Resistance. Useful for encounters requiring additional damage mitigation.
• Blockade of Frost (Morph of Wall of Elements | Skill Line: Destruction Staff): Ground-cast AoE ability, primarily used for applying status effects that debuff and weapon enchant. Ideal when using a Lightning or Ice staff.
• Aggressive Horn (Morph of War Horn | Skill Line: Assault): Vital ultimate ability for a support role. Grants Major Force, increasing critical damage by 20%, and boosts Max Magicka and Stamina by 10% for you and your group. Prioritise its use to provide a significant damage boost to your group. Coordinate with other support roles for maximum effectiveness.

Passive Skills:

• Animal Companions
• Green Balance
• Winter’s Embrace
• Restoration Staff
• Destruction Staff
• Light Armor
• Undaunted
• Racial
• Alliance War Support
• Alliance War Assault
• Crafting, Alchemy Medicinal Use

Gear:

• Head: Symphony of Blades, (Divines, Light, Magicka)
• Shoulders: Symphony of Blades, (Divines, Light, Magicka)
• Chest: Jorvuld’s Guidance, (Divines, Light, Magicka)
• Legs: Jorvuld’s Guidance, (Divines, Light, Magicka)
• Gloves: Jorvuld’s Guidance, (Divines, Light, Magicka)
• Boots: Jorvuld’s Guidance, (Divines, Light, Magicka)
• Belt: Jorvuld’s Guidance, (Divines, Light, Magicka)
• Weapon One: Restoration Staff, Perfected Grand Rejuvenation, Powered, Absorb Magicka
• Weapon Two: Frost > Fire > Lightning, Roaring Opportunist, Charged, Shock
• Necklace: Roaring Opportunist, Arcane, Magicka Recovery
• Ring 1: Roaring Opportunist, Arcane, Magicka Recovery
• Ring 2: Roaring Opportunist, Arcane, Magicka Recovery

Flex Options:

• Sentinel of Rkugamz: Great resource sustain
• Nightflame: Good HP
• Earthgore: AoE burst heal
• Chokethorn: Single target burst heal
• Troll King: Niche set for specific trials
• Perfected Stone-Talker’s Oath: Great back bar sustain set
• Perfected Vestments of Olorime: Longer-lasting major courage though not mobile
• Z’en’s Redress: Niche setup that adds tons of damage

Race:

• Breton: Insane sustainability, lacks spell damage or increased healing
• Argonian: Great for pure healing and survival, lacks sustain and has less Max Magicka

Attributes:

• Health: 0
• Stamina: 0
• Magicka: 64
• Mundus Stone: Atronach – Increases Magicka recovery by 310

Champion Points:

Warfare:

• Soothing Tide
• Swift Renewal
• Rejuvenator
• Enlivening Overflow

Fitness:

• Bondless Vitality
• Fortified
• Rejuvenation
• Sprinter
• Wind Chaser – Sub-constellation – Hasty
• Hero’s Vigor
• Piercing Gaze
• Tempered Soul

Craft:

• Steed’s Blessing
• Breakfall
• Wanderer
• Steadfast
• Rationer
• Liquid Efficiency
• Treasure hunter

Consumables:

Food:

• Ghastly Eye Bowl (Good Healing)
• Bewitched Sugar Skulls (Good Max Stats)
• Clockwork Citrus Filet (Expensive)

Potions:

• Essence of Spell Power or Alliance Spell Draught. Restore 7582 Magicka immediately. Grants Major Intellect (increases Magicka Recovery by 30% for 36.6 seconds). Major Sorcery (increases Spell Damage by 20% for 36.6 seconds). Grants Major Prophecy (gives 2629 Spell Critical Rating for 36.6 seconds).

The Big Conclusion: 

The ESO Warden offers diverse and powerful builds catering to different playstyles: the Healer Build, focused on group support and efficient healing; the Stamina Warden, excelling in physical combat with impressive damage output and sustainability; and the Magicka Warden, harnessing the arcane for devastating magical assaults. Choosing the best build depends on your preferred role and playstyle. While all three are formidable, the Magicka Warden stands out as the most versatile, providing high damage potential, strong AoE capabilities, and a well-rounded toolkit, making it the recommended choice for those seeking adaptability and effectiveness across various in-game scenarios.