ESO Arcanist Builds
The Arcanist is one of the most exciting and versatile classes in The Elder Scrolls Online, bringing a fresh twist to both combat mechanics and class fantasy. Introduced with the Necrom Chapter, this cosmic-themed class draws power from forbidden tomes and Daedric knowledge, unleashing abilities that are as visually striking as they are powerful. The Arcanist seamlessly combines burst damage, support tools, and defensive utility, making it a highly adaptable pick for players of all styles.
What makes the Arcanist especially appealing is its unique Crux system, which adds a layer of combo-based gameplay that rewards smart decision-making. Whether you prefer the solo grind, PvP chaos, or coordinated endgame PvE, the Arcanist can fill any role with the right build.
In this guide, we’ll break down the best ESO Arcanist builds for all playstyles. Whether you're looking to push leaderboard DPS, build an unkillable tank, or maximize the potential of your race and skills, we’ve got everything you need.
Types of Arcanist Builds in ESO
Before diving into specific builds, it’s important to understand the different playstyles and categories available to the Arcanist. Each setup is optimized for a unique type of content, offering both flexibility and specialization depending on your goals.
PvE Dungeon & Trial Arcanist Builds
These builds are optimized for group content where coordination and maximum damage or support are key:
- Magicka Arcanist DPS [Max Damage]
- Stamina Arcanist DPS DW/2H [Max Damage]
- Stamina Arcanist DPS 2H/DW
- Stamina Arcanist DPS Bow/Bow
- Magicka Healer
- Health Tank
- Werewolf Build
These setups focus on raw damage, group healing, or tanking efficiency in veteran dungeons and trials.
PvE Solo Arcanist Builds
Optimized for players who enjoy soloing world bosses, delves, or questing:
- Solo Magicka Arcanist Build
- Solo Stamina Arcanist Build
- Vampire Arcanist Build
- Magicka Grind Build
- Stamina Grind Build
These builds offer a good balance of sustain, healing, and damage, making them perfect for solo content.
One Bar Arcanist Builds
These builds simplify gameplay by using only one ability bar, perfect for beginners or casual players:
- One Bar Arcanist DPS Build
- Healer One Bar Arcanist Build
- Tank One Bar Arcanist Build
Ideal for players using a controller, playing on console, or just wanting a relaxed experience without bar swapping.
PvP Solo Arcanist Builds
Designed for competitive gameplay in Cyrodiil and Battlegrounds:
- Magicka Arcanist Build PvP
- Stamina Arcanist Build PvP
These builds prioritize survivability, crowd control, and burst potential, ensuring you remain a threat on the battlefield.
Coming up next, we’ll dive into specific gear setups and rotations for each of the most effective Arcanist builds in The Elder Scrolls Online.
Best ESO Arcanist DPS Builds
The DPS-focused Arcanist excels at both Magicka and Stamina-based builds, making it a powerful damage dealer in any scenario. Whether you're clearing veteran trials or farming overworld content, these builds focus on high burst, AoE, and sustain.
Magicka Arcanist DPS [Max Damage]
If you're looking to melt bosses and cleave through mobs in veteran trials or dungeons, this is the go-to setup. The Magicka Arcanist shines with powerful beam abilities, sustained AoE, and reliable Crux generation that fuels both damage and survivability.
Stamina Arcanist DPS DW/2H [Max Damage]
This is a fast-paced, in-your-face build that thrives on stacking Crux for explosive melee combos. Perfect for players who prefer close-range combat with high single-target burst and decent cleave.
Magicka Grind Build
Need a fast-clearing, low-maintenance build to farm XP, materials, or skill lines? The Magicka Grind Arcanist delivers with beam-cleave combos, strong sustain, and low downtime — great for new players or alts.
Stamina Arcanist Grind Build
This version of the grind build trades raw AoE for enhanced movement and sustain, making it ideal for daily content, solo arenas, and fast world boss clears. A great pick for players who want stamina-based flexibility.
For players looking to optimize their build even further, ESO Mythic Items Boost services can provide quick access to some of the game’s most powerful gear pieces.
ESO Arcanist Tank Build
The Arcanist class has several effective tanking setups, each suited to a different context — whether it’s group play, solo content, PvP survival, or beginner-friendly one-bar builds. Below are the top four tank builds, each with their own strengths, gear sets, and intended use cases.
Main Arcanist Tank Build
The Arcanist’s tank build is a powerhouse of mitigation, crowd control, and group utility. Thanks to Crux generation and the Apocryphal skill line, the Arcanist tank excels in group survivability and self-sustain.
This build focuses on maxing resistances and group utility via synergy buffs and powerful AoE taunts. The Crux mechanic adds self-healing and shields that scale with group play, making it highly effective in organized content.
One Bar Arcanist Tank Build
Designed for simplicity and accessibility, this build is perfect for players using a controller or those new to the tank role. Despite being easy to play, it offers solid survivability and group utility.
PvP Arcanist Tank Build
Built to withstand burst and keep control zones secure, this build excels in Battlegrounds and Cyrodiil. It focuses on crowd control, healing received, and maximum armor.
Solo Sustain Arcanist Tank Build
This build is great for world bosses, solo delves, and content where you need to both tank and kill enemies slowly. High sustain and recovery are key.
If you’re struggling to gather the right sets while leveling, an ESO Items Boost can save time and help you stay focused on progressing your Arcanist.
ESO Arcanist Skills Explained
The Arcanist class has three distinct skill lines, each offering unique abilities and passives that define your role in combat. Mastering the right combinations across these lines is key to optimizing any ESO Arcanist build.
Herald of the Tome (Offensive Skill Line)
This is the primary damage-dealing skill tree for Magicka or Stamina DPS Arcanists. It revolves around building and consuming Crux, a special class resource, to amplify damage or utility.
Key Skills:
- Runeblades – A spammable skill that generates Crux while dealing single-target damage.
- Fatecarver – A channeled beam that consumes Crux to deal high burst damage in a line.
- Fulminating Rune – AoE damage with a delayed explosion, good for trash clearing.
Passives:
- Increase damage when Crux is consumed.
- Bonus Magicka/Stamina regen when holding Crux.
Apocryphal Soldier (Tank/Defense Skill Line)
This tree focuses on survivability, shielding, and enemy control. Ideal for Arcanist tank builds or players who want more durability.
Key Skills:
- Runeguard of Still Waters – Major protection + minor resolve buff.
- Impervious Runeward – Shield that scales with your Max Health.
- Rune of Eldritch Horror – Fears enemies and applies a minor debuff.
Passives:
- Bonus armor when activating defensive skills.
- Increases healing received based on Crux spent.
Curative Runeforms (Support/Healing Skill Line)
A healing-focused skill line with tools for both group utility and personal sustain. Strong in support or solo-tank hybrid builds.
Key Skills:
- Runemend – Single-target burst heal, scales well in Crux-boosted builds.
- Chakram of Destiny – Projectile shield that protects allies.
- Apocryphal Gate – Teleportation portal that can be used for repositioning or escape.
Passives:
- Healing effects scale when shielding is active.
- Additional Crux gain from healing criticals.
By combining abilities from these lines, the Arcanist can be shaped into a damage dealer, tank, or hybrid. Most effective builds will blend skills from at least two lines depending on their purpose.
Best Race for Arcanist ESO
Choosing the right race can significantly enhance your Arcanist’s performance depending on your intended role — DPS, tank, or support. Below is a breakdown of the most optimal races for each playstyle, focusing on racial passives that directly impact sustain, survivability, or damage output.
Best Races for DPS Arcanist
- High Elf – Offers increased Spell and Weapon Damage, Magicka recovery, and reduced damage taken while channeling (synergizes perfectly with Fatecarver).
- Khajiit – Provides critical damage and healing bonuses with stealth advantages, making it great for PvE and PvP burst builds.
- Dark Elf – A strong hybrid choice thanks to both Spell and Weapon Damage boosts, plus a bit of extra Flame Resistance for PvP.
Best Races for Tank Arcanist
- Nord – Extra resistances and Ultimate generation make Nords a top-tier tank option, especially for crowd control and self-sustain.
- Imperial – Reduced skill costs and bonus Health/Stamina make this race excellent for both main tanking and sustain-heavy scenarios.
- Argonian – Strong passive healing, bonus resource gain from potion use, and excellent survivability.
Best Races for Hybrid or Solo Arcanist Builds
- Breton – High Magicka sustain through cost reduction and resistance, perfect for solo or off-tank builds.
- Orc – Extra health, stamina, and sprint speed help in mobile solo builds or PvP tanking roles.
Your race won’t make or break your build, but choosing one that complements your playstyle and role will absolutely make things smoother, especially in higher difficulty content.
Pro Tips for Playing an Arcanist
- Always manage your Crux: Build Crux with spammables like Runeblades or Cephaliarch’s Flail, then consume it with finishers or buffs for maximum impact.
- Beam with caution: Fatecarver is powerful but leaves you exposed. Use movement skills or shields before channeling in dangerous content.
- Mix skill lines: Don’t rely solely on one skill tree. Combining a few damage, utility, and defense tools will drastically increase your versatility.
- Adapt sets to content: Use AoE-focused sets for mob farming, but switch to single-target or buff-heavy sets for trials and bosses.
- Use Apocryphal Gate strategically: It’s not just for escape — it can help reposition for Fatecarver, dodge AoEs, or flank enemies in PvP.
- Don't overlook sustain: Both tanks and DPS should consider passives and gear that improve Magicka or Stamina recovery, especially in long fights.
Mastering the Arcanist is all about learning when to press your advantage and when to hold Crux for a bigger payoff.
Conclusion
The Arcanist is more than just a flashy new class - it's a truly transformative addition to The Elder Scrolls Online’s meta. Whether you're unleashing reality-warping beams as a DPS, forming unbreakable wards as a tank, or mastering mobility and sustain through hybrid builds, the Arcanist offers flexibility like no other. Many players turn to ESO Boosting Services to unlock veteran dungeons, trials, and gear faster — especially when preparing an endgame-ready Arcanist build.
By taking advantage of the unique Crux system, skill synergies, and diverse build paths available, players can tailor their playstyle for any content type - from solo delves and veteran trials to chaotic PvP battlegrounds. No matter your experience level, there’s a powerful Arcanist build out there waiting to help you rewrite your legend in Tamriel.
FAQ
Yes! With one-bar builds and strong sustain, it’s accessible for new players — while its Crux system offers depth for veterans.
Absolutely. Magicka Arcanist is especially strong in PvP due to burst potential, shields, and crowd control.
High Elf, Dark Elf, and Khajiit are top picks due to high damage passives and resource recovery.
Change Log
- 10.04.2025 - ESO Arcanist Builds published.