The ARCHMAGE Build is an insanely strong one-bar build for The Elder Scrolls Online, focused on explosive AOE damage, stuns, roots, and other means of crowd control. This build literally blows enemies sky-high and is a blast to play!
Primary Sets
The recommended items sets for the ARCHMAGE Magicka Sorcerer build focus on increasing our overall damage as well as our Critical Chance to make our abilities hit as hard as possible.
First, the New Moon Acolyte set provides a ton of extra stats for our build including Critical Chance, Penetration and lots of Spell Damage, pushing the fully buffed Spell Damage of this build well over 5000 in the right situations. This helps our abilities hit super hard right off the bat.
Next, the Mother’s Sorrow set amplifies our Critical Chance very high, especially as Sorcerers can also access Minor Prophecy for even more Critical Chance. This, combined with the Thief Mundus is an amazing combination.
Finally, the Slimecraw Monster Set just amplifies the damage this build can produce even more without worrying about buffs or direction of attacks.
Click on a Set Name below to learn more.
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(3 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(4 items) Adds 1487 Offensive Penetration
(5 items) Adds 401 Weapon and Spell Damage. Increases the cost of your active abilities by 5%.
Mother’s Sorrow
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
(3 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(4 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(5 items) Adds 1528 Critical Chance
Slimecraw
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 771 Critical Chance
(2 items) Gain Minor Berserk at all times, increasing your damage done by 5%
Alternate Sets
Mother’s Sorrow can be replaced with another strong Critical Chance focused set such as Law Of Julianos or Medusa. The Slimecraw set can also be replaced with mismatched monster set pieces such as Molag Kena or Zaan.
Law Of Julianos
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(3 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
(4 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(5 items) Adds 300 Weapon and Spell Damage
Medusa
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(3 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(4 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(5 items) Adds 892 Critical Chance. Gain Minor Force at all times, increasing your Critical Damage by 10%.
Gear Setup
| Weapon/Armor | Set | Trait | Weight | Glyph |
| Main Hand | New Moon Lightning Staff | Precise | NA | Spell Damage/Absorb Magic |
| Backup | Any Lightning Staff | Infused | NA | Spell Damage |
| Head | Slimecraw | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Shoulder | Slimecraw | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Chest | Mother’s Sorrow | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Waist | Mother’s Sorrow | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Gloves | Mother’s Sorrow | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Legs | Mother’s Sorrow | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Feet | Mother’s Sorrow | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Necklace | New Moon Acolyte | Infused | NA | Spell Damage |
| Ring 1 | New Moon Acolyte | Infused | NA | Spell Damage |
| Ring 2 | New Moon Acolyte | Infused | NA | Spell Damage |
Consumables, Race, Mundus
Race
In order to pump out as much damage as possible on this build I recommend High Elf, Dark Elf or Khajiit. For more details on all ESO Races and passive bonuses be sure to check out our Full ESO Race Guide.
Mundus
The Thief
Increases the Critical Strike rating by 1333
With 7 Divines armor pieces
Increases the Critical Strike rating by 2167
Food/Drink Buff
Witchmother’s potent brew
Increase Max Magicka by 2856, Max Health by 3094, and Magicka Recovery by 315 for 2 hours.
These effects are scaled based on your level.
Potions
Basic Magicka Potions
Skills – One Bar Setup
Main Weapon: LIGHTNING STAFF – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
Skills – Two Bar Setup
Main Weapon: LIGHTNING STAFF – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
Backup Weapon: LIGHTNING STAFF – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
Skills Discussion & Rotation
Combat Tips
Since Volcanic Rune has a short delay before it explodes you’ll want to cast this first, then follow up with Daedric Mines and finally Elemental Ring. You can spam Elemental Ring a few times if the enemies survive your first wave of damage.
Passive Skills
Class Passives
- Unholy Knowledge
- Blood Magic
- Persistence
- Exploitation
- Power Stone
- Daedric Protection
- Capacitor
- Energized
- Amplitude
- Expert Mage
Weapon Passives
Armor Passives
Guild Passives
Racial
Other
Champion Points
Below you will find the recommended Active and Passive Champion Point Stars for this build, broken down into 300, 600, 900, and 1200 CP ranges.
For more information on Champion Points click on a Star name below or browse our detailed Champion Points Guides.
Constellation Descriptions:
Craft
The Green Craft Constellation is focused on crafting and utility-centered upgrades.
Warfare
The Blue Warfare Constellation focuses primarily on increasing player damage, healing and defenses
Fitness
The Red Fitness Constellation is focused on character survival and sustain.
-300 Champion Points-
GREEN
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Biting Aura (Slot)
RED
-600 Champion Points-
GREEN
- 50 Steed’s Blessing (Slot)
- 50 Gilded Fingers
- 30 Fortune’s Favor
- 30 Wanderer
- 10 Steadfast Enchantment
- 30 Rationer (Slot)
BLUE
RED
-900 Champion Points-
GREEN
- 50 Steed’s Blessing (Slot)
- 50 Gilded Fingers
- 50 Fortune’s Favor
- 30 Wanderer
- 10 Steadfast Enchantment
- 30 Rationer (Slot)
- 75 Liquid Efficiency (Slot)
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Biting Aura (Slot)
- 50 Fighting Finesse (Slot)
- 50 Arcane Supremacy (Slot)
- 50 Untamed Aggression (Slot)
- 20 Eldritch Insight
RED
- 20 Sprinter
- 8 Hasty
- 20 Hero’s Vigor
- 50 Siphoning Spells (Slot)
- 50 Strategic Reserve (Slot)
- 50 Rejuvenation (Slot)
- 50 Boundless Vitality (Slot)
- 30 Tumbling
-1200 Champion Points-
GREEN
- 50 Steed’s Blessing (Slot)
- 50 Gilded Fingers
- 50 Fortune’s Favor
- 30 Wanderer
- 10 Steadfast Enchantment
- 30 Rationer (Slot)
- 75 Liquid Efficiency (Slot)
- 50 Treasure Hunter (Slot)
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Biting Aura (Slot)
- 50 Thaumaturge (Slot)
- 50 Fighting Finesse (Slot)
- 50 Untamed Aggression (Slot)
- 20 Eldritch Insight
- 20 Flawless Ritual
- 30 War Mage
RED
- 20 Sprinter
- 16 Hasty
- 20 Hero’s Vigor
- 50 Siphoning Spells (Slot)
- 50 Strategic Reserve (Slot)
- 50 Rejuvenation (Slot)
- 50 Boundless Vitality (Slot)
- 30 Tumbling
- 20 Defiance
How To Create Powerful ESO Builds
Crafting the Perfect Build for you in The Elder Scrolls Online can be frustrating. Which skills are best for each class? What about passives? The best race? The best armor type and weapons? The best trait and glyphs? There are literally THOUSANDS of different options!
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