Y'ffre's Guardian: Stamina Warden PvE Healer (Morrowind)

Cellentel

This is a guide to making a Stamina Warden healer for 4-person PvE content.

By the Green, why would anyone do such a thing? Because we can. The Warden is the first class with the abilities and passives needed to make stamina healing viable. It makes for a very different play style than magicka healing and can be a lot of fun.

To be clear, this is not an optimal build. If you want an optimal healer build, make a magicka healer (probably a Templar, but definitely magicka). This build is 100% viable, but if you feel the need to min/max in content that doesn't need min/maxing, then this isn't for you.

Also, "Stamina healer" is slightly misleading, as we still need to use magicka for various buff abilities. "Hybrid healer" may be a bit more accurate. Our heals scale off of stamina, but both resources are important.

Sets

• Powerful Assault: This is the medium armor equivalent of Spell Power Cure, the go-to set for all magicka healing. When you cast an assault ability (i.e. Vigor), it increases the weapon and spell damage of up to 4 targets within 10 meters for 15 seconds. You want to use this for the same reason magicka healers use SPC - your job is to buff the group in addition to healing them, and this is a very powerful buff. This set can be obtained from the Tel Var merchant in the Imperial City, or from guild stores.
• War Machine: This is the medium armor set added with the Halls of Fabrication trial in Morrowind. When you use an ultimate, you and your two nearest allies gain Major Slayer for 15 seconds, increasing damage done to dungeon and trial monsters by 15%. With the proper positioning and a cheap ultimate like the Warden's healing ultimate, you can keep high uptime on this very powerful buff.
• Sentinel of Rkugamz (monster set): Healing procs a Dwemer spider that heals and restores stamina to allies in the area. This is a great way to help the tank out with their resource management in addition to your own.

We are able to run two 5-piece sets plus a monster set due to the nature of the 5 piece bonuses on Powerful Assault and War Machine. Both abilities trigger an effect when you do <thing>, therefore you only need the 5-piece active on the bar you'll use to do <thing>. The effect will remain active when you swap bars. In our case, we'll have PA on our frontbar with Vigor and WM on our backbar where we'll use our ultimate.

Gear

• Head/Shoulder: 2x Sentinel of Rkugamz. Ideally Light/Heavy for the Undaunted passive and a small bit of the light armor magicka passives.
• Body/Jewelry: 4x Powerful Assault, 4x War Machine. It does not matter which piece goes where.
• Weapon #1: Bow of the Powerful Assault (Precise or Powered). Weakening enchant.
• Weapon #2: War Machine Destruction Staff (Precise or Powered). It does not matter which element you have.

Ideally all body pieces are divines with stamina enchants. Jewelry should be stamina recovery; if your sustain is ok you can swap one or two for a weapon damage enchant (those increase healing as well).

Why a bow frontbar? To take advantage of Green Lotus, we want to light attack frequently. Being right next to the boss is often challenging as a healer, so we want a ranged weapon. Plus a healer spamming bow light attacks will drive some people in a PuG absolutely bonkers.

Why a destruction staff backbar? Healers are expected to cast Elemental Drain, so we need a destruction staff. We don't use the staff for anything else. Plus you get to relish the reaction from your group when you ask for a destruction staff in a stamina set.

Skills

Bow Bar

• Echoing Vigor (Assault): Our main heal. This provides a 5-second heal over time to all allies within 15 meters. We will want to cast this on cooldown pretty much always, as it is enough to keep the group at full health much of the time. As this is an assault ability, it procs Powerful Assault (so always cast it at least once every 15 seconds).
• Soothing Spores (Green Balance): Stamina conal heal. This is our burst heal and triggers the Green Balance passives, all of which are great for improving our healing abilities and buffing the group. It heals for more if you're close to your allies, so try to stay near them if possible.
• Green Lotus (Green Balance): While active, this causes our light and heavy attacks to heal a nearby ally. The heal isn't much but it's a nice way to keep the group topped off while doing a bit of damage. The heals also proc the Green Balance passives. The main draw is Major Savagery, which increases your Weapon Critical rating and therefore your healing.
• Subterranean Assault (Animal Companions): This does a nice chunk of damage while also applying Major Breach and Fracture to all enemies it hits. These debuffs (effectively) increase the amount of damage enemies take; tanks will apply them when they taunt, but in add pulls they can't taunt everything so the ability to apply them to the entire group is very helpful. Additionally, having this on our bar enables the Flourish passive, which increases Mag and Stam recovery while an Animal Companion ability is on our bar. It also provides 4 Ultimate once every 8 seconds through the Savage Beast passive, so try to use it or the Netch once every 8 seconds.
• Flex
• Flawless Dawnbreaker (Fighter's Guild): This passively provides a large Weapon Damage bonus. We never actually use the ultimate; we always want to use the ult on our backbar with War Machine.

Destruction Staff Bar

• Elemental Drain(Destruction Staff): this applies Minor Magickasteal and Major Breach to an enemy. Major Breach is redundant, but Minor Magickasteal is essential for sustain of magicka dps.
• Expansive Frost Cloak (Winter's Embrace): this applies Major Resolve and Major Ward to up to 6 allies (e.g. the entire group in 4-person content). This helps group survivability a lot so keep it up all the time.
• Energy Orb (Undaunted): this provides a synergy to allies that will restore magicka or stamina (depending on which max stat is higher) to them and nearby allies. This is another essential sustain tool. We can afford magicka to cast it occasionally but can't spam it as much as magicka healers can.
• Bull Netch (Animal Companions): this restores a small amount of stamina over time for a long period and provides Major Brutality, increasing weapon damage and therefore healing. It also activates the Flourish passive increasing our resource recovery.
• * Flex
• Enchanted Forest (Green Balance): this is the centerpiece of the build. This applies a large AoE heal with a follow-up HoT at the incredibly cheap cost of 75 ultimate. If you heal an ally under 50% health, you regain 20 ultimate immediately, in which case it effectively costs 55 ultimate and is the cheapest ultimate in the game. We want to spam this as much as possible to proc War Machine and grant Major Slayer to our DPS.

If you're just fooling around, you can also use the bear. Activating the bear's swipe attack is cheap (75 ult) and will proc War Machine (just be sure to activate it on the back bar). This makes you less effective as a healer but is awesome.

Flex Abilities

• Poison Injection (Bow): a cheap but powerful DoT, particularly against low health enemies. You often don't need to be healing 100% of the time, so this is a nice way to contribute to group DPS.
• Frozen Retreat (Winter's Embrace): cast a portal on the group (or under an enemy) that pulls the first enemy to walk over it to you. This is the Warden version of chains; if your tank is not able to pull enemies together to AoE down, you can use this to help out. Allies can activate a synergy to teleport to you, which sounds really awesome but I haven't found a use for it yet.
• Either morph of Nature's Grasp (Green Balance): this pulls you to an ally; our long range healing abilities are very limited so this can be useful if an ally wanders out of range and starts taking damage. But, honestly, you'll use this because it's awesome (for you) and annoying (for them).
• Efficient Purge (Support): this cleanses harmful effects from allies. It is very situation because most effects that are cleanseable can be healed through. It is VERY expensive so use this wisely.
• Shimmering Shield (Winter's Embrace): this absorbs the next three projectiles cast at you and grants Major Heroism, providing 12 ultimate over 6 seconds. You won't normally have projectiles shot at you so this often isn't useful, but if people are going to shoot at you, why not get some ult out of it?
• Blade Cloak (Dual Wield): to use this, you'll need to use dual wield weapons on one of your bars instead of bow/staff. This reduces AoE damage you take by 25%, which helps your survivability a ton. This is not normally necessary, but is worth considering if you're having issues staying alive.

Stats

• Attributes: aim for 18K health, then put the rest in stamina. The exact distribution will depend on your race and whether or not you have the undaunted passive.
• Race: Argonian is probably optimal because they have a healing bonus, great resource management, and the extra mag is nice to help cast your magicka abilities. Beyond that, any stamina race will work fine; my character is a Wood Elf for the stamina regen and lore reasons.
• Food: Purple tri-stat food or Dubious Cameron Throne (health/stam/stam recovery). Tri-stat food gives you a bit more room to use magicka abilities, but isn't necessary. Dubious Cameron Throne helps a lot with sustain.

Mundus Stone

You have several good options:

• The Thief - increases critical, meaning more critical heals
• The Ritual - increases healing done
• The Serpent - increases stam recovery
• The Atronach - increases mag recovery

If you find yourself having sustain problems, use one of the recovery stones. Otherwise, use one of the other stones.

Champion Points

I've yet to figure out the optimal setup, so I will just list the passives that are helpful. In Morrowind, you want to spread your points out across many more trees, so you'll probably want to put some points into all of these.

• Mage: Blessed, Precise Strikes. Unless you're sure you want to do nothing but heal, you probably want some points in DPS trees as well - Piercing, Mighty, Thaumaturge, Master-At-Arms, Physical Weapon Expert.
• Warrior: Elemental Defender, Hardy, Thick Skinned, Quick Recovery, Ironclad, Spell Shield, Medium Armor Focus
• Thief: Mooncalf, Arcanist (we use mag abilities, too, remember?), Tenacity, Warlord, Shadow Ward, Bashing Focus

A Note About Positioning

This build is a more reliant on sane ally positioning than the traditional Templar healer because we don't have Breath of Life. Our heals still have a fair amount of range - Vigor is 15 meters, Soothing Spores is 20 - but if a DPS wants to stand as far away from us as possible we may be unable to heal them. This is generally their fault for being an idiot.

In addition, getting the most out of War Machine requires careful positioning. It affects the two closest allies, whom we want to be the two DPS (tanks get no benefit from increased damage). Therefore, we need to work with the DPS to ensure they're always closer to us than the tank is. This can be tricky in some fights, but it's also not the end of the world if the tank gets the Major Slayer buff sometimes because we're reapplying it frequently.

sonxio

It requires to level somewhat in PVP. but it's fun. i'm bored with healing by magika. lol

If you pass hard-mode veteran dungeons like Direfrost Keep, Imperial City Prison, White Tower, Mozzaxxx(that turtle island) with purple gears, please do get back and write more. I'll definitely try it out.

Cuhdalie

Hi there! I'm wondering if you have gear suggestions for this build for let's say someone who is in the process of leveling with a group of 4 people?
Im interested in trying this build out as I progress on my main but she's only 32 and I only focus on leveling when the 4 of us get together to play a few nights a week. Please let me know your crafted gear suggestions for this build if you have a chance!
Thanks a bunch!

Draqone

This is pretty good except 1 thing:

You would like to have a lightning staff on the backbar and drop Blockade of Staorms for the offbalance.

Also, for flex on the main bar, caltrops are good for easier encounters where you can DPS some.

GilGalad

Hello,

I just want to make some comments, since I have some experience healing dungeons with stamina chars. On my stam DK it was possible to heal most dungeons (maybe except the SotH ones) with just vigor and otherwise a full DPS setup. The Warden in comparison has access to some really powerful healing abilities.
When it comes to buffing your group it is about finding the balance in increasing your DDs DPS while not loosing too much DPS yourself. Lets say you have a group DPS of 75k without off-balance and you have to choose between a lightning staff with WOE or vMA bow backbar with endless hail, you will most likely add more group DPS when going with the bow, since you wont have 100% off-balance uptime.

So what I would suggest is to run dual wield and vMA bow for several reasons:

• vMA Bow provides most likely more DPS than a lightning wall
• Casting a lighning wall every 8s is really magicka intensive. The base reg of approx 600 only provides 2400 magicka every 8s, leaving basically no room for support with orbs.
• Dual wield heavy attacks are really fast (~1.7s) and proc the big Green Lotus heal, which is almost as good as a flash heal.
• Only drawback: No possibility to run elemental drain, but more magicka for orbs.

So when you play a heavy attack rotation, keeping vigor and lotus up you will have a ton of passive healing and no sustain issues at all. Therefore you can play a simple heavy attack DPS rotation with Subterranean Assault, Endless Eail, Cliff Racer, Poison iInjection and maybe Caltrops. This should be able to provide around 15-20k DPS.

Gearwise you could think about running Nightmother, when running with 2 stam DPS (and thats where this build is the most effective). It will provide roughly the same DPS increase than warmachine, but you could run an ultimate like warhorn.

When running war machine I would run the bear ultimate, since it provides really good DPS (around 3k-4k with your gear) and the extra healing from the ultimate is usually not required.

Minor comment: For some more DPS switch the netch to the netch to the front bar to get the animal companion passive instead of the green balance passive.

Cellentel

Cuhdalie wrote: »

Hi there! I'm wondering if you have gear suggestions for this build for let's say someone who is in the process of leveling with a group of 4 people?
Im interested in trying this build out as I progress on my main but she's only 32 and I only focus on leveling when the 4 of us get together to play a few nights a week. Please let me know your crafted gear suggestions for this build if you have a chance!
Thanks a bunch!

I haven't playtested any of these for this type of build, but the following crafted sets look interesting while leveling:

• Hunding's: straight damage (= healing) increase
• Shacklebreaker: increases recovery and max stats; this build benefits from everything except the 3-piece spell damage increase
• Night Mother's Gaze: if your group has stamina DPS, you can apply this debuff and allow them to use another set.

Draqone wrote: »

This is pretty good except 1 thing:

You would like to have a lightning staff on the backbar and drop Blockade of Staorms for the offbalance.

Also, for flex on the main bar, caltrops are good for easier encounters where you can DPS some.

I haven't tried this because I don't have a lightning war machine staff yet. It is a good idea, though I worry that it is too magicka-intensive. Blockade has a fairly short duration and is pretty expensive for a stamina-specced character. You likely will not have enough resources to cast both it and orbs frequently. Which is better for the group probably depends on the group.

GilGalad wrote: »

Hello,

When it comes to buffing your group it is about finding the balance in increasing your DDs DPS while not loosing too much DPS yourself.

Having done a fair amount of dps-while-healing setups with my magicka healers, I intentionally avoided that approach with this build. When I heal, I like to focus and healing (and support) because I find that more fun. You can't maintain the same level of support while also doing enough DPS that it makes a noticeable difference. Of course, in most dungeons you don't need to do that much support, but beat-dungeons-in-the-minimum-possible-time is not the point of this build (though I have gotten plenty of speed runs with it, so it's not a hindrance either).

Of course, that doesn't mean that a more DPS-focused setup isn't possible or wouldn't be effective. It would be. If that's your goal, the suggestions you may are good ones.

GilGalad wrote: »

Minor comment: For some more DPS switch the netch to the netch to the front bar to get the animal companion passive instead of the green balance passive.

Subterranean Assault is an animal companion skill and thus procs the passive on the frontbar in the setup I listed above.

GilGalad

@Cellentel
Im not talking about the regen passive, but about the 2% dmg increase to all abilities per animal companion ability slotted (advanced species).

About the level of support while doing DPS:
For me playing as a healer is about finding the perfect balance between support and DPS to reach a maximum group DPS. I guess that's just my min-max mind always trying to optimize overall speed, like we used to do it when DSA came out. Sure you can get most speedruns without a perfect build, and I respect that some people like to focus more on supporting.

The only thing I can't stand are healers that spam healing springs 24/7 with everyone at 100% health, while not even usin elemental drain...

Cellentel

Ah, true. Netch on frontbar would be a damage boost, though you'd need an animal companions skill on your backbar for the regen passive (you mentioned using the bear ult, which would suffice).

jcf190b14_ESO

Any suggestions for beginner gear for this build? I really like the playstyle from an RP perspective (I plan on making a wood elf.)

GilGalad

jcf190b14_ESO wrote: »

Any suggestions for beginner gear for this build? I really like the playstyle from an RP perspective (I plan on making a wood elf.)

Agility jewels (cheap to buy), Nightmother or Hundigs rage as crafted sets and ideally powerful assault, but it's hard to find in the stores...

jcf190b14_ESO

GilGalad wrote: »

jcf190b14_ESO wrote: »

Any suggestions for beginner gear for this build? I really like the playstyle from an RP perspective (I plan on making a wood elf.)

Agility jewels (cheap to buy), Nightmother or Hundigs rage as crafted sets and ideally powerful assault, but it's hard to find in the stores...

For the duel wield / bow build you mentioned previously, what skills should go on each bar, ideally? Obviously, it wouldn't be optimal, but could this work with a bow on each bar? Min/maxing is super important, but how much less effective do you think it would be?

GilGalad

jcf190b14_ESO wrote: »

GilGalad wrote: »

jcf190b14_ESO wrote: »

Any suggestions for beginner gear for this build? I really like the playstyle from an RP perspective (I plan on making a wood elf.)

Agility jewels (cheap to buy), Nightmother or Hundigs rage as crafted sets and ideally powerful assault, but it's hard to find in the stores...

For the duel wield / bow build you mentioned previously, what skills should go on each bar, ideally? Obviously, it wouldn't be optimal, but could this work with a bow on each bar? Min/maxing is super important, but how much less effective do you think it would be?

As I wrote above the main advantage of dual wield are the fast heavy attacks to activate the big green lotus heal. In Addition you get a lot more weapon dmg for your heals. If you run sets like Nightmother you only need the 5 piece on one bar and the weapons are easy to get. Sure it also works with dual bow, but you might have to use spores more often, because you lack the fast heavy attacks.

I would run the following bars:
DW: soothing spores, Subterranean Assault, Cliff Racer, Vigor, Flex1, Flawless Dawnbreaker/Bear
Bow: Green Lotus, Netch, Endless Hail, Orbs (whatever morph you prefer), Flex2, Warhorn/Forest/Bear

Flex1: Rearming Trap (3% weapon dmg), Blade Cloak (25% less dmg by AOEs), Steel Tornado (nice for trash)
Flex2: Poison Injection (more DPS), Expansive Frostcloak (less dmg for group), Shimmering Shield

jcf190b14_ESO

GilGalad wrote: »

jcf190b14_ESO wrote: »

GilGalad wrote: »

jcf190b14_ESO wrote: »

Any suggestions for beginner gear for this build? I really like the playstyle from an RP perspective (I plan on making a wood elf.)

Agility jewels (cheap to buy), Nightmother or Hundigs rage as crafted sets and ideally powerful assault, but it's hard to find in the stores...

For the duel wield / bow build you mentioned previously, what skills should go on each bar, ideally? Obviously, it wouldn't be optimal, but could this work with a bow on each bar? Min/maxing is super important, but how much less effective do you think it would be?

As I wrote above the main advantage of dual wield are the fast heavy attacks to activate the big green lotus heal. In Addition you get a lot more weapon dmg for your heals. If you run sets like Nightmother you only need the 5 piece on one bar and the weapons are easy to get. Sure it also works with dual bow, but you might have to use spores more often, because you lack the fast heavy attacks.

I would run the following bars:
DW: soothing spores, Subterranean Assault, Cliff Racer, Vigor, Flex1, Flawless Dawnbreaker/Bear
Bow: Green Lotus, Netch, Endless Hail, Orbs (whatever morph you prefer), Flex2, Warhorn/Forest/Bear

Flex1: Rearming Trap (3% weapon dmg), Blade Cloak (25% less dmg by AOEs), Steel Tornado (nice for trash)
Flex2: Poison Injection (more DPS), Expansive Frostcloak (less dmg for group), Shimmering Shield

Sounds good. Thanks for the advice. And thanks to the original poster for the idea.

Aliyavana

Are they good in pvp?

Lorabella

I've been using this stamina healer build and I love it!! Thank you for creating Y'ffre's Guardian.

I went with Argonian for the potion and healing passives. The only war machine weapon I have so far is a 1-handed axe, so I've been dual wielding instead of using bow/destruction staff like the build recommends.

I've successfully completed normal Cradle of Shadows, Imperial City Prison, and Ruins of Mazzatun, as well as vet Direfrost Keep and Vaults of Madness (on hard mode). And I just convinced my trial leader to let me bring my stamina healer along on our next normal trial.... so we'll see how that goes.

Lorabella

Successfully completed normal AA and normal SO with my Warden stamina healer.

I actually found that hard-mode vet dungeons are easier to heal than a normal trial, due to the nature of the conal short-range heals.

Fantastic build though. I have been telling all of my guild mates about it.

xerikos

Has this build changed due to recent changes? How is it doing?

Lorabella

xerikos wrote: »

Has this build changed due to recent changes? How is it doing?

I haven't noticed any significant changes since the recent updates - I'm still playing it the same way and I haven't had any problems with the build. Although I've been using dual wielding and a greatsword (due to War Machine weapon drops in Halls of Fab), so I've already deviated from the bow/destro recommendation. It works for me and I haven't had any issues.

I hope that the OP continues to inform us of any build changes that he believes are necessary.

Morgul667

This is awesome

But can you do VET ICP, mazzatuns and things like this or not really ?

Thraben

aliyavana wrote: »

Are they good in pvp?

We use a StamWard healer as a true supporter:

S/he can replace the support abilities of both StamSorc (manoever) and Magsorcs (Cleanse) to a degree while supporting their negates with Pollen and their AoE Stuns with Permafrost. Since Cleanse doesn´t scale with Magicka, and healing gives you a great Magickareg, it works VERY well. Also, the SubAssault is a great debuff. Decisive Weapons are a must-have, however, so you can rely on your healing ultimate. I´d generally recommend Chokethorn as single target burst heal is the Warden´s greatest weakness.

I personally don´t play MagSorc or StamSorc or Templar in groups smaller 7 because the support impact of a well played StamWarden is greater.

In groups larger than 12, however, one StamWarden is enough because they only supplement the more specialized Sorcs and Templars who outperform them in their specialized roles.

Edit: the original PvE build which was posted contains two morphs that aren´t viable in PvP: efficient purge (must be replaced with cleanse, one of the strongest AoE heals in the game) and Enchanted Forrest (In PvP the other morph outperforms it even when it comes to Ulti generation). I strongly recommend using Nature´s Embrace, as this skill makes the difference between a mediocre Warden healer and an awesome Warden healer and helps you greatly with your ressource management.

Captain_Apollo

So something I'm just wondering with this build is if you can go SnB/bow using bow for dps and SnB for some additional CC utility.

I know SnB is suboptimal for a dps build but since this is a healer build it doesn't seem like a loss of dps is bad if it brings some additional utility to the group + increase in survival for you. The bow skills should be sufficient for off dps anyway right?

(I'm still leveling my warden and thus don't have the guides full kit yet but I've noticed that using my ranged animal companion abilities offer superior utility)

OolongSnakeTea

I wouldn't go SNB, the snare or CC should be left up to other roles- or you could flex out mending for Time Stop or Portals in the Winter tree.

I find 2 handed or dual wield to keep more light attacks to keep lotus healing, and to sustain my stamina to be best.

OolongSnakeTea

Morgul667 wrote: »

This is awesome

But can you do VET ICP, mazzatuns and things like this or not really ?

I have completed most DLC dungeons now, with the acception of the newest Moonhunter and march or SCP (but Fang yes), just due to timing and finding anyone who's actually intrested in taking a stamden healer.

Most people with how CP inflation has allowed them to run with 3 DPS and a tank anyways, so a stamden healer isn't completly unlikely if the group comp allows for it.

Snootking

Hey is this still viable now for all 4 man content? Is having no ele wall not missed badly when running dw and bow?

Bladerunner1

I was wondering if Enchanted Forest still procs war machine enough to feel impactful, it was bumped to 90 ultimate.