ESO Scrying Guide
Scrying is a unique mechanic in The Elder Scrolls Online that lets you uncover hidden relics, treasures, furnishings, and even mounts through the Antiquities system. At its core, scrying is a strategic mini-game that rewards precision, foresight, and mastery of specific skills. This ESO scrying guide will walk you through how the system works, how to level it fast, and how it connects with excavation.
How to Unlock the Scrying Skill Line
To get started with scrying in ESO, you’ll need access to the Greymoor Chapter. Once it’s unlocked, travel to Solitude in Western Skyrim and begin the introductory quest called “The Antiquarian Circle”. This short quest introduces the Antiquities system and grants you two essential skill lines: Scrying and Excavation.
Completing this quest also gives you the
Antiquarian’s Eye, a special tool used in the scrying mini-game. From this point on, you’ll be able to scry for Antiquities, track down hidden relics across Tamriel, and dig them up using the Excavation system.
If you're short on time or just want to focus on the fun parts of the game, some players use ESO boosting services to handle the grind-heavy parts like leveling, farming, or clearing tougher content while they focus on collecting and exploring.
How the Scrying Minigame Works
The ESO scrying mini-game plays out on a hex-based board called the
Antiquarian’s Eye. Your objective is to connect your starting point—usually near the center—to one or more of the six Foci scattered along the grid’s outer edge. Reaching at least one Focus completes the scry.
Every scrying attempt is limited by two key resources:
- Turns: Each regular move consumes one turn.
- Magicka Charges: These are used to activate powerful scrying abilities like Dilation, Coalescence, or Farsight. They don't cost turns, but must be used wisely.
You expand your area of control by claiming connected facets—tiles that share a side with an already-claimed tile. Some skills can claim multiple tiles in one go, trigger chain reactions, or alter surrounding tiles to give you an edge.
The goal? Claim as many Foci as possible. The more you get, the fewer possible dig sites you'll have to search during excavation. A perfect scry (all six Foci) pinpoints the location precisely—no guessing needed.
Scrying Skill Line Progression & Passive Abilities
The ESO Scrying skill line is entirely passive, but each rank you unlock adds powerful new tools or improves existing ones. As you progress, you’ll gain more turns, better control over the grid, and access to tougher leads like Master and Ultimate.
XP and Rank Progression
Your Scrying level increases by successfully completing excavations. Here's how much XP each difficulty gives:
And here’s how many points are needed to reach each rank:
Tip: You level both Scrying and Excavation at the same time, but not always evenly. If you're re-scrying to get a perfect grid or failing digs, one skill may outpace the other. Try to keep them balanced for smooth progression.
Scrying Tools in ESO
These abilities help you control the board, claim key Foci faster, and clear tougher difficulties more efficiently. Here’s a breakdown of each tool you’ll use while scrying:
Scry
- Basic move that claims connected facets of the same type, starting from your current area of control.
- Costs 1 turn, but no Magicka.
- Essential for gradual expansion, especially at lower difficulty levels.
- Best paired with active skills like Coalescence or Dilation for efficiency.
Coalescence
- Changes a hexagonal cluster of 6 facets to match the center facet.
- Doesn’t claim any tiles directly but sets up massive combo opportunities.
- Upgrade increases range to a 12-tile “snowflake” pattern.
- Great for connecting scattered tiles across the board.
Dilation
- Claims all matching facets adjacent to your area of control.
- Upgrade allows it to grab every connected tile of that type on the board.
- Ideal for clearing large sections quickly with minimal Magicka usage.
Farsight
- Claims a straight line of tiles (4 at base, 6 when upgraded) from your area.
- Perfect for reaching distant Foci or bridging between clusters.
- Misuse can waste Magicka, so use with care — great when lined up properly.
Each of these tools consumes 1 Magicka Charge, except for basic Scry, which only uses a turn. Managing both turns and charges is key to mastering higher difficulty scries like Master and Ultimate. Upgraded skills dramatically increase your control and efficiency.
Scrying Difficulty Levels in ESO
As you progress through the ESO Scrying skill line, the complexity of the minigame ramps up across five difficulty tiers — each introducing new challenges in grid layout, facet types, and Foci placement. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect at each level and how to adapt your approach.
Trivial Difficulty
- Seen only during the tutorial quest.
- Grid features 3 facet types and just one Foci to claim.
- No special skills available yet — you’re learning the basics with standard Scry moves.
- Usually cleared in 1–5 turns, depending on RNG.
Simple & Intermediate Difficulty
- Facet types: 5
- Foci are aligned vertically, placed just a few tiles apart.
- Forgiving layouts — Farsight (even unupgraded) can grab a Foci instantly.
- You can finish these with basic Scry alone, though tools like Farsight help speed it up.
- Great practice ground for Magicka and turn management.
Advanced Difficulty
- Introduces a sixth facet type.
- Foci shift into two horizontal rows and become more spread out.
- Basic Scry becomes risky — time to rely on active skills.
- Coalescence: great for setting up scattered tile patterns early on.
- Dilation (upgraded): sweeps large zones once you establish control.
- Upgraded Farsight: still viable, but requires precise use.
Tip: Manage your Magicka Charges wisely — don't burn them too soon.
Master Difficulty
- Now features 7 facet types and an expanded grid.
- Horizontal symmetry breaks — Foci appear in unpredictable places.
- Coalescence: excellent opening move for scattered setups.
- Dilation + Coalescence: powerful combo to dominate wide zones.
- Basic Scry: no longer sufficient alone.
- Utility passives: Scrier’s Patience and Future Focus become crucial.
Tip: Preemptive Power gives a strong early advantage on rough grids.
Ultimate Difficulty
- Final tier: 8 facet types, extra row, and massive Foci spread.
- Foci can be 9+ tiles apart, often hidden in corners.
- Even center Foci may take 5+ turns to reach.
- Upgraded Coalescence: essential to form routes quickly.
- Maxed Dilation: lets you grab entire clusters in one shot.
- Future Focus (Rank II): almost mandatory — extra Charges make or break runs.
Tip: Always analyze the board before acting. A rushed opener will waste turns fast.
How Scrying and Excavation Work Together in ESO
Scrying and Excavation are tightly linked systems within the Antiquities feature of The Elder Scrolls Online. Here’s how they sync up:
- After a successful scry, your map shows multiple highlighted areas where the antiquity might be buried.
- The number of locations depends on how many Foci you claimed — claim more to narrow the search.
- At the site, you'll begin the excavation minigame, using tools like the Hand Brush to clear soil and the Heavy Shovel to break through obstacles.
- Excavation is where you physically uncover the antiquity item you just scryed for.
Leveling the Skill Lines:
- Scrying XP: Gained from successful scries and claiming multiple Foci.
- Excavation XP: Earned by unearthing the item without damaging it.
Although they’re earned together, the skill lines progress independently. If you scry on one character and excavate on another, your progression may become unbalanced. For smooth leveling, try to complete both steps on the same character.
Mastering both systems is essential for collecting ESO’s best antiquities, unlocking unique furnishings, and progressing your scrying skill line efficiently. Since some excavation rewards—like furnishings or leads—can be sold or traded, having a bit of extra gold on hand can also help with lead hunting or gear upgrades. If you're more gold, services like an ESO Gold Boost can save time without needing to farm endlessly.
Conclusion
The ESO Scrying system is essential if you want to engage with the Antiquities feature effectively. Mastering the mechanics grid control, skill timing, and tool usage directly impacts how many rewards you get and how fast you progress. The ESO Scrying skill line also gates access to higher difficulty leads, so leveling it unlocks valuable treasures and mythic items.
FAQ
You’ll need the Greymoor Chapter. Head to Solitude in Western Skyrim and complete the quest “The Antiquarian Circle” to unlock both the ESO Scrying skill line and Excavation.
Scrying in ESO lets you locate hidden antiquities. It starts with a puzzle-like minigame that determines how many dig sites appear on your map for the excavation phase.
You gain Scrying XP by completing successful scries and claiming multiple Foci. Higher difficulty levels give more experience, helping you unlock better tools and access to rare leads.
Scrying reveals potential dig locations on your map, while excavation is where you physically unearth the antiquity. These are separate skill lines that level together, though not always at the same pace.
Change Log
- 09.04.2025 - ESO Scrying Guide published.