Arcanist "spellblade" build help

Arantesovelha · August 2023

Hey guys,

So, after ~2 years, I'm returning to ESO and I was interested in trying out the new class. I was wondering if it's viable to create a hybrid/spellblade arcanist, utilizing melee weapons on the front bar and a staff on the back bar.
I'm quite lost in the game right now, so any build suggestions would help (sets, approach, race, etc...).

It would be a more casual character, with no intention of PvP or end-game content.

Cheers

Edit: I forgot the most important part, if you can suggest some cool fashion options too

Soarora · August 2023

Yes, nowadays hybrid characters are perfectly viable. In fact, the PvE meta arcanist uses daggers frontbar, inferno backbar! If you use a channeled spammable (such as fatecaver "arcanist beam" or the dual wield spammable) then off-trait deadly strike would work well, off-trait body pieces aren't super expensive. Lots of people (including me heh oops) are dressing their arcanists in black and green robes or armor.

Zodiarkslayer · August 2023

The easiest combination of sets is Deadly Strike and Order's Wrath. Deadly Strike is relatively easy to get in good traits and dirt cheap in off traits. Just dont buy golden stuff.
Order's Wrath can be crafted with 3 traits known. That is super quickly researched and can be crafted and upgraded to your needs.
For Head and Shoulders you will probably have stuff from 2 years ago, lying around somewhere. One piece Slimecraw and one piece Iceheart was surely part of your previous collection.

For abilities you have to use Pragmatic Fatecarver (which consumes crux) and Cephalliarch's Flail (which generates crux).
The rest you will easily figure out on your own.
As reference, I play my Arcanists like this:
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildData?id=528690

Zodiarkslayer · August 2023

Ooh! I almost forgot.
I have my Arcanist clothed in Sapiarch Chest, Waist and Gloves, Redguard Shoes and Ivory Brigade breeches, I believe.
Head and Shoulders are hidden, of course.

For colouration I use simple jute green as the base colour. The linings and fittings are antique silver.

El_Borracho · August 2023

Arcanist DDs are weird in that they are neither hybrid or standard stamina/magicka builds. The skills have conditions based on the resource pool you have more of or less of. For example a stamina arcanist, who has a higher stamina pool will use stamina for the beam and flail, but magicka for the rune. It would be the reverse for magicka arcanists. You can totally run daggers on the front bar, regardless of stamina/magicka, as well as a staff on the back.

Deadly is a must, as the others have said. Your second set can be anything you want as a casual player. If you don't/can't get Order's Wrath, I'd even consider Soulshine as the beam is a channeled ability, or War Maiden if you want two easy to acquire overland sets.