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Warden refresh request

richo262
richo262
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I'm hoping ZOS de-pegs the Warden from the Morrowind theme and they remove all Morrowind animals for something more universal. With the option to go back to the Morrowind animals via the skill style system if the player so chooses. This really only affects the Animal Companion skill tree.

Such as replacing Cliff Racer with a Raven, Beetles with something else, Nech with a Whisp etc. The Warden class feels more at home in a location such as Galen or Daggerfall than Morrowind. Not much about Morrowind really resonates with the Druid theme. It a rather alien biome and is not particularly icey. It makes sense the Arcanist would have ties to such a realm (albeit as proxy to Apocrypha).
  • aspergalas4
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    Second this. Giving a selection of different animals for each skill that has them from a variety of Tamriel environments.
    Eagle, Crow, Hawk, Owl for more generic one size fits all. With Cliff racers, Hackwings etc suiting the more unique biomes and peoples of Morrowing, Argonia etc.

    As for the ultimate pet there's an even wider selection of creatures that would suit the role, and they should go hard in making lots of different options to fit multiple themes. Senches, Welwas, Bears, Wolves, Terrorbirds, Cliff Strider and so on. Can all be rigged so the attacks and damage are the same, so easy to keep purely cosmetic.

    Couldn't suggest what might serve as a alternative for the beetles or the netch beyond a couple options. But these skills might get fully reworked anyway.
  • aspergalas4
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    Can also run with the existing Ice theme and make an Ice atro option for the pet, and ice shards for the spammable. Beetles could be a row of ice spikes shooting up, ice wraith netch. There's a lot of flexibility with the warden rework.
  • salander7
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    Given the current PTS, I'd rather have em buff slightly animal companions and keep a netch and a cliff racer than Green Balance and Winter's Embrace getting the pts DK treatment.

    Ideally the bear, bird, and maybe scarabs, could depend on the character race, and let it only be a cosmetic change. However, that's what I guess skill styles are for.
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  • AzuraFan
    AzuraFan
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    richo262 wrote: »
    I'm hoping ZOS de-pegs the Warden from the Morrowind theme and they remove all Morrowind animals for something more universal. With the option to go back to the Morrowind animals via the skill style system if the player so chooses. This really only affects the Animal Companion skill tree.

    As long as it's optional, I don't mind if they have another set of animals that isn't Morrowind-themed. They could have different skill styles that change the animal, as suggested by the previous poster.
  • richo262
    richo262
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    AzuraFan wrote: »
    richo262 wrote: »
    I'm hoping ZOS de-pegs the Warden from the Morrowind theme and they remove all Morrowind animals for something more universal. With the option to go back to the Morrowind animals via the skill style system if the player so chooses. This really only affects the Animal Companion skill tree.

    As long as it's optional, I don't mind if they have another set of animals that isn't Morrowind-themed. They could have different skill styles that change the animal, as suggested by the previous poster.

    Of course, as I stated in the second sentence I wrote, the default Warden should be more universal, but keep the Morrowind themed skills as skill styles so the player can easily revert it back if the old style was their preference.
  • ESO_Nightingale
    ESO_Nightingale
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    Can also run with the existing Ice theme and make an Ice atro option for the pet, and ice shards for the spammable. Beetles could be a row of ice spikes shooting up, ice wraith netch. There's a lot of flexibility with the warden rework.

    i dont think ice atros would work purely due to the fact that they're daedra.

    ice wraiths would though. but i'd prefer those as a new and improved scorch morph.
    PvE Frost Warden Main and teacher. Come Join the ESO Frost Discord to discuss everything frost!: https://discord.gg/5PT3rQX
  • Soarora
    Soarora
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    I’m of the opinion that Warden was intended to be anti-Vvardenfell because DK already exists and, well… VVarden.

    That said, I’m only attached to the vvardenfell-ness in that it’s animations I’m used to. It does not fit my character lore at all since I play warden as the cryomage class. The only skill I’ve ever seen anyone be attached to is the bear, which isn’t even vvardenfell themed anyways.
    [PC/NA] Dungeoneer (Tank/DPS), Retired Trialist, and amateur Battlegrounder (DPS) with a passion for The Elder Scrolls lore.
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  • Personofsecrets
    Personofsecrets
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    Instead of talking to animals, I feel like it would really spice things up if Warden became a Tales of Tribute based class. We don't have something like that yet, so it would definitely serve as a healthy identity update to the warden and it's card slinking skill lines. Or maybe it would be cool of Warden was thematically based on Spider Man. I can see that. A Warden and their arachni pals. Cool!
    Edited by Personofsecrets on January 17, 2026 8:21AM
    Rest in Peace:
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    This commemoration is for the class that has constantly been plundered and dismantled by designers for no obvious reason while other classes continue to have coherent skill lines and feel both powerful and cool.
  • richo262
    richo262
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    Gambit subclass confirmed.
  • Destai
    Destai
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    I really like the idea of having Green Balance be a healing tree with DPS alternate morphs. I could lean into a more arboreal druid feel.

    I also really want something done about the bear. Maybe they could pull some Inspiration from the GW2 Soulbeast, where you merge with your pet. Just something so I have a viable DPS spec with the visual clutter of a bear.

    Overall, I just want a more universal feeling class theme. Right now, it’s a little odd having frost in the mix with Morrowind fauna and a general Flora theme.
  • LunaFlora
    LunaFlora
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    Vvardenfell has nature just like any other part of Nirn.
    i would love more options too, but not a complete deletion of the current animals.

    Sorcerer has Clannfear and Scamp as different morphs of one skill.
    Warden could do different creatures for morphs of the same skills too.

    • Scorch could be Ice Wraiths for its magicka morph. Even Thunderbug would work.
    Though Shalks do appear in Galen which is not Morrowind.

    • Dive i have no preference, just a bird?

    • Fetcher infection could instead be Nixad or imp?
    i think Swarm should be an aoe channel like Dragonfire and Fatecarver.

    • Netch could have one morph be Wisp for sure.
    personally i hope one morph gets both Stamina and Magicka recovery.
    So that the other morph could damage enemies.
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  • Soarora
    Soarora
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    LunaFlora wrote: »
    • Dive i have no preference, just a bird?

    Dive as a bird would be nice. I complained about this in the survey and it’s bothered me for years— cliff racer isn’t a cliff racer. It’s a small blue cliff strider. I really want them to change it hahaha.
    [PC/NA] Dungeoneer (Tank/DPS), Retired Trialist, and amateur Battlegrounder (DPS) with a passion for The Elder Scrolls lore.
    • Current GM of Hard Dungeoneers
    • Tanks: Sorcerer - Necromancer - Templar
    • DPS: Frost Warden - Stamarc
    • Ex-healer
    • Dungeons: 32/32 HMs - 26/26 Tris

      View my builds!
  • Castagere
    Castagere
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    I just want more Bear looks to chose please.
  • wolfie1.0.
    wolfie1.0.
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    I want to replace the bear with a wolf. Been wanting that since announcement...
    I hate bears.they are pawsitively unbearable...

    IF it happens it will be through skill styles I think. There was already one that.replaces the swarm and cliff racer with Ravens.

    So we know its do able.
    Edited by wolfie1.0. on January 18, 2026 3:04AM
  • Apollosipod
    Apollosipod
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    LunaFlora wrote: »
    • Fetcher infection could instead be Nixad or imp?
    i think Swarm should be an aoe channel like Dragonfire and Fatecarver.

    I maintain that there should be a Sheogorath skill style for this that allows us to throw a swarm of butterflies.
  • Apollosipod
    Apollosipod
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    wolfie1.0. wrote: »
    I want to replace the bear with a wolf. Been wanting that since announcement...
    I hate bears.they are pawsitively unbearable...

    IF it happens it will be through skill styles I think. There was already one that.replaces the swarm and cliff racer with Ravens.

    So we know its do able.

    Even thematically the bear never made a damn bit of sense. Every other animal companion was Vvardenfell themed then there's just a random bear? There aren't even bears in Vvardenfell. It should have been a Kuguti or Alit. Hell even a mean looking guar (give em an eye patch, I dunno).

    It just needs more options in general. Let you lean more Vvardenfell of more Druid
  • AlexanderDeLarge
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    As much as I love the Vvardenfell aesthetic, I agree, but I think there's opportunity here to expand this idea into a system and give "birthplace/origin" some importance. It would be difficult to achieve a retroactive change but now that the game has expanded so much, why can't we select where we're from and have that visually reflected in some way? Give us titles etc.

    This would enhance roleplaying and make a selected region feel more like home.
  • Zodiarkslayer
    Zodiarkslayer
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    How about we rip frost damage from the Warden and give it to a new class?
    A proper frost damage class, not just a skill line.
    Edited by Zodiarkslayer on January 18, 2026 7:25PM
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