ALMOST Immortal Warrior - PVE Dragonknight Tank Build

The Almost Immortal Warrior Tank build for the Elder Scrolls Online made it all the way to Oblivion!! After almost 6 years of constantly adapting per patch he is STILL on top form! And maybe even STRONGER than ever before!

This PVE Tank build is set to be able to do as I think tank should be able to do…and that is get smacked really hard and not care. Basically, when I hear the word “tank” I assume that it is supposed to be “hard to kill” like a really big gorilla in a suit of armor! Generally, it’s pretty common now to see squish tanks where they hold their block all day long, and yet if the shield goes down they are dead. These are of course effective but that is a totally different style of play. This takes full advantage of the ability to survive while holding onto a boss and at the same time be able to protect the group and self-sustain as well as boosting damage to your team!

This is tricky first of all since we have a low stamina pool. To make use of our stamina the most effective way possible we must heavy attack between the boss’ big attacks. This means you MUST know your target to look for those windows of opportunity. It is a very select way of play but if you can master it, you are very hard to kill even without a healer.

The sets that are used are very specific to the build and are used for multiple stacking bonuses. Healing received is high along with almost capped resists, high hps, and high magicka recovery. These combined mean that we can proc our heal a lot and make the most out of that from the healing received…Our hps are massive so we can take a LOT of damage + this also improves the size of our heals (% of hp based) and the size of our igneous shields and bone shields (group shielding based on % of YOUR max hps). And finally of course where the magicka recovery comes in, we can pretty much SPAM shields to support ourselves, our heals, and the group!
Not to mention of course some of the set choices to pair with the main base set.

Galenwe (set) can BUFF the group’s damage JUST by blocking!  If you block you can buff 12 people with 40% increased light attack damage and can proc once a second! Based on the fact light attacks now hit much harder and are based off of max resources now instead of weapon damage heavy, this is a VERY nice bonus. We are a CHUNKY hard-to-kill tank who CAN support the group with defense and damage performance boosts. Just a tip there, if you have some Easy Sorc friends…you just dramatically boosted each and every one of them!

We can take advantage of other sets also while utilizing the armory system (as demonstrated in the video) to give a MASSIVE amount of debuff penetration bonuses to get resistances down of the targets in AOE. Also another option to protect the group with HUGE resistance bonuses!

Winter’s Respite was added to the mix in the Greymoor chapter and is STILL a solid option. All you have to do is activate Blood Altar, and you will place a healing circle on the group for close members of your group. Your Igneous Shield adds major mending to this which makes it REALLY powerful making heals per tick really high!

Why is this? Well, the set needs you to heal yourself or someone else…however, getting hit, makes Leeching fire…Leeching is a heal, and from THAT heal, the set will fire. And if you are not so lucky there (chance) your Blood Altar (recently added to the build) can ALSO heal you or someone else which means, YOU still manage to activate the set. There is a much more in-depth demonstration in the video but this new set is a game-changer for PUGS and/or groups struggling with survival where mechanics are more important for the progression experience while learning the content. Failing that, perhaps you may just PREFERENCE it.

The Sets and methods behind the build complement each other so much but you must make sure you stick to certain rules:

• If you use Igneous Shield while Leeching is active your heals from it will be larger until major mending has faded.

• Blocking (if using Galenwe) BUFFS your group IF you need to block AND Stonekeeper gives resources back too. So although you shouldn’t permablock, you ARE rewarded for blocking and can maintain it VERY well!

• Taunting the targets BUFFS the group just for doing what you do best! Holding agro!

• if you see the Leeching proc (poison under an enemy) hit Igneous Shield

• keep Green Dragon Blood on ALL of the time, it isn’t just a heal, it is a buff too

• Igneous Shield BEFORE any heal, if you can help it.

• TAKE SYNERGIES! you must maintain your resources, synergies give back 4% of all stats with max undaunted passives, don’t waste them!

• Make sure you heavy attack between mechanics keep up resources, especially during off balance opportunities while applying shields (Igneous and Bone Shield – yes they stack!)

• Shield your group!! Bone Shield close to allies so they can take the synergy to shield 3 other members, and spam those Igneous Shield close by to keep them from taking damage! Free mitigation to the group by you spamming your shields makes a BIG difference to their survivability!

• BLOCK THE BIG HITS! we are not a perma-block tank, but that doesn’t mean we don’t block, block the big stuff, the one-shots etc…make sure you are of course “active” tanking, where you pretty much FIGHT the enemy with your heavies, but you MUST block the big ones. We have very good block cost reduction without suffering any major diminished returns due to the way the build is setup BUT that doesn’t mean we hold block forever. Learn your boss mechanics!

• Don’t do “NOTHING”…if you are off tanking or you really are not taking any damage at the moment…build ultimate. We build it from Igneous Shield every 6 seconds, heroic slash every 9 seconds, light attack/heavy attack every 8 seconds, and…if you get a window…get that invigorating drain running…5 ulti a second is insane!!! So…if you have nothing to do…shield the group and build that ulti!

• Ulti usage…we are very low stam, we can build ulti incredibly fast to keep up resources and supply warhorns etc…but due to reduction to cost AND fast gain…if we DO need an “oh sh*t” button, our block ulti costs just shy of 135 ulti, and you block and taunt for FREE!

• STATUS EFFECTS!!! The status effects combustion passive got buffed to hell and back. Any burning status effect you do grants 1000 magicka, any poison status effect grants 1000 stam. Leeching firing per tick can give you BACK stamina if it has a poison status effect applied from it. Not only that, if you are using Grothdar (optional), THAT means enemies get burnt, refilling your magicka! Health stam AND mag back for being HIT and doing your job!

• ADAPT to the situation. Some bosses require a lot of blocking, some do not. Change your food as and when you need it, and also alter your attributes if you are still struggling with sustain. It is YOUR character, and YOUR game, alter what you need to for your style of play!
• FINALLY! If your preference is Winter’s Respite, this adds heals but in a static location. Be sure to keep up that blood altar if you are using it, and keep up those igneous shields because the heal from the set will increase the heals to the group!