Need Some Help With Magicka Warden

Tearaknee · June 2023

First let me start off with saying hello everyone!
So I'm attempting to play my first dps character & it's a Magicka Warden! (Healer main on everything I play)
I was looking at guides and builds everywhere and legit 90% of what I find is ha ha funny heavy attack builds that don't even wear light armor or I listen to a 45 minute long video to be baited by no useful information on youtube (HTM).

I want to most likely use a mythic set at first either Oakensoul or that new mage thing that decreases light/heavy attacks by 99%.
I really like the cliff racer skill, so I'm wanting it to be my main spammable.
However I am running into some issues such as sustain, maybe it's that im use to a healer for 5.3k resource recovery but I feel like my magicka sustain on dps magden is bad-horrible compared to anything I've ever ran before (other times i've attempted dps maining)

So this brought me to maybe I need non-meta sets. What I do have set wise just sitting around is a 5 gold-set of orders wrath, deadly, mothers sorrow, & trainee.
I do want to use an ice staff for that extra 12% dps so thats somethin.

What skills/armor sets do you all think I should run? I'm all for running med/heavy but I would only do 1 piece of each just for that one undaunted passive.
Anyways thanks for any help anyone mentions!

tsaescishoeshiner · June 2023

You can do mythic item + Order's Wrath + Mother's Sorrow. Not optimized for score pushing, but you can do vet DLC dungeons with a good rotation.

As DPS, you'll have to heavy attack occasionally for resources. You also HAVE to use Restore Magicka potions as soon as they're off cooldown (assuming you're not at full magicka already). Get the cheap ones.

You can switch in 1, 2, or 3 magicka recovery glyphs depending on your sustain preferences.

You could also go for False God's to help with sustain, but boss fights will still require an occasional heavy attack. Great for solo arenas, though.

One downside to Oakensoul is that wardens get magicka back from Betty Netch, which gives Major Brutality/Sorcery, making it redundant with Oakensoul. Not a dealbreaker.

There's a lot more advice that people could give—what specific content do you wanna do as mag warden?

Soarora · June 2023

Are you running netch and mag recovery drink (witchmothers)? I disagree with tsaescishoeshiner over having to heavy attack and using potions on cooldown. I do not have to do either of those things unless there's no healer in a dungeon or an arena (even then, I'm usually pretty okay. Solo arenas are the only time I really heavy attack). Otherwise, I'm completely fine (okay, mostly fine when I use arctic blast. Arctic blast costs a lot but it can be useful). If you're interested in a frost mage, I've uploaded my build here: https://eso-hub.com/en/builds/soarora/9d58666a-7ecd-4688-ae5d-7085541fa53f/80-100k-brittleden . If you really want to use cliff racer as your spammable over ice reach you can, that's what stamdens do.

Zodiarkslayer · June 2023

The question is: For what do you need it?
For Dungeons, I'd recommend Whorl of the Depth plus Frostbite and two Arena Weapons. That will give you the best ice and brittle mage DPS feel.

In Trials, I think the META is Whorl backbared and Nirn on Jewels, Chest and Legs. With Master Ice Staff frontbar and one Monster set or Mythic plus Trainee.

The absolute key to MagDen succes is how often Chilled is procced. A big chunk of its DPS is pigeonholed into this. There is no way around it. So embrace it...

Regarding sustain, I can only say that Blue Betty, Ghastly Eyeball and potions with Major Intellect are more than enough, if you use a couple of Stamina abilities in the rotation.
If you need more health in content, it is certainly better to use one or two health glyphs instead of Mommies Potty Brew. You get 10% more health from the maturation passive, after all.

OBJnoob · June 2023

If sustain is your main concern then I think your first impulse to use oakensoul is a good start. Easy to sustain if you have an excuse to heavy attack frequently.

Hotdog_23 · June 2023

Find heavy attack Warden Oakensoul build does more damage of any heavy attack build I have used. Console player so real metrics I can see, just subjective. Hate beating target dummies. Sustain is no issue.

Gear
Sergeant's Lightning staff, Chest piece (for the highest armor rating) and one ring and one neck. Order's Wrath (Medium weight) Shoulders, Legs, feet, hands and (Light) waist. Medium Slimecraw (Head piece) monster set for the crit and of course Oakensoul ring.

Use 5 Medium 1 Heavy, 1 Light combinations to take full advantage of Undaunted Mettle (Increases your Max Health, Stamina, and Magic by 2% per type of Armor (Heavy, Medium, Light) that you have equipped)

Skills
Wild Gaurdian as Ultimate will use Destro Ultimate if soloing Harrowstorms since they have a lot of adds.

Screaming Cliff Racer for the off balance, use once every 10 seconds.

Deep Fissure for Major and Minor Breach, use this skill every 3 seconds or once with every heavy attack. Know you can wait but get more damage using it every 3 seconds. Sustain is not an issue since you are heavy attack build.

Bird of Prey for the Passively grants Minor Berserk while slotted. Plus, I like the Major Expedition for 6 seconds, increasing your Movement Speed by 30%.

Lotus Blossom for the passive heal, and it last a full minute and can be pre-casted before a fight. Find that most of the time it can get my tank companion alive most of the time.

Polar Wind for the burst heal if needed for me or my companion or group members.

There are more meta builds, but since I am on console, I don’t change gear in between fights. Have a blast with this setup. Can solo pretty much everything with companion tank except Vet DLC dungeons. Not tried to solo the new world bosses in the new Zone yet.

Stay safe