The NOVA SHIELD Build is one of the best Solo Builds in The Elder Scrolls Online! Focused on STRONG Damage Shields that automatically protect your character, this build can easily handle some of the hardest Solo content in the game including World Bosses, Dungeons, Arenas and more!
Primary Sets
The primary focus of the Nova Shield build is to use as many automatic damage shields and as much passive healing as possible, making your survival in most encounters almost guaranteed!
Our main protective set on this build is Hexo’s Ward – one of the strongest Damage Shield sets in the game! With the addition of Champion Points this shields for over 14,000 damage!
We’ve combined this with another damage shield-focused set with a FAST cooldown, Prayer Shawl, which can buff you as quickly as every 2 seconds with another free damage shield.
Finally, Iceheart is just a great overall defensive set, giving us 3 total passive damage shields just from our gear sets alone!
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(3 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(4 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(5 items) Dealing direct Critical Damage grants you a damage shield that absorbs up to 12305 damage for 6 seconds. This effect can occur once every 7 seconds.
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) 1096 Maximum Magicka
(3 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(4 items) Adds 129 Magicka Recovery
(5 items) When you overheal yourself or an ally, you grant them a damage shield that absorbs 5000 damage for 6 seconds. This effect can occur once every 2 seconds.
Iceheart
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(2 items) When you deal Critical Damage, you have a 20% chance to gain a damage shield that absorbs 5000 damage for 6 seconds. While the damage shield holds, you deal 500 Frost Damage to all enemies within 5 meters of you every 1 second. This effect can occur once every 6 seconds.
Alternative Sets
For easier content, Prayer Shawl can be replaced with a more offensive-focused set like Mother’s Sorrow. Iceheart can also be swapped with Mother Ciannait for more magicka sustain while keeping the same shield. If you’d like a large damage shield using Crafted Sets, Torug’s Pact utilizing an Infused Staff is also very strong.
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
Mother Ciannait
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
(2 items) While in combat, casting an ability with a cast time or channeling an ability grants you a damage shield that absorbs 5000 damage for 6 seconds. If the damage shield is broken, you restore 822 Magicka. This effect can occur once every 6 seconds.
Torug’s Pact
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 1487 Armor
(3 items) Adds 1206 Maximum Health
(4 items) Adds 1487 Armor
(5 items) Decreases weapon enchantment cooldown by 33% and increases non Oblivion Damage weapon enchantment potency by 45%.
Gear Setup
| Weapon/Armor | Set | Trait | Weight | Glyph |
| Main Hand | Prayer Shawl Lightning Staff | Precise | NA | Absorb Magicka |
| Backup | Maelstrom Lightning or Inferno Staff | Infused | NA | Spell Damage |
| Head | Iceheart | Divines | Light | Health |
| Shoulder | Iceheart | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Chest | Hexos Ward | Divines | Medium | Magicka |
| Waist | Prayer Shawl | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Gloves | Prayer Shawl | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Legs | Hexos Ward | Divines | Medium | Magicka |
| Feet | Prayer Shawl | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Necklace | Hexos Ward | Bloodthirsty | NA | Spell Damage |
| Ring 1 | Hexos Ward | Bloodthirsty | NA | Spell Damage |
| Ring 2 | Hexos Ward | Bloodthirsty | NA | Spell Damage |
Consumables, Race, Mundus
Race
For the best damage on this build consider using High Elf, Dark Elf, or Khajiit. The extra cost reduction of Breton can also be helpful for making the build even easier to play. 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
Clockwork Citrus Filet or Witchmother’s Potent Brew
Potions
Spell Power Potions
Basic Magicka Potions
Active Skills
Main Weapon: LIGHTNING STAFF – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
- Radiant Glory
- Degeneration or Solar Barrage
- Elemental Drain
- Puncturing Sweep
- Inner Light
- ULT: Temporal Guard or Shooting Star
Backup Weapon: LIGHTNING STAFF – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
- Vampire’s Bane
- Elemental Blockade
- Ritual Of Retribution
- Honor The Dead or Channeled Acceleration
- Channeled Focus
- ULT: Solar Disturbance
Skills Discussion & Rotation
Buffs
Start by buffing Channeled Acceleration and Channeled Focus as well as your potion or Degeneration for Major Sorcery.
Offensive Rotation
On the Back Bar: Apply Vampire’s Bane, Elemental Blockade and Ritual Of Retribution -> Bar Swap
Cast Elemental Drain and Degeneration, then Puncturing Sweep 4-5 times, remembering to Light Attack between each to proc your Damage Shield Enchant.
Passive Skills
Class Passives
- Piercing Spear
- Spear Wall
- Burning Light
- Balanced Warrior
- Enduring Rays
- Prism
- Illuminate
- Restoring Spirit
- Mending
- Sacred Ground
Weapon Passives
Armor Passives
Guild Passives
Racial
Other
Companions
If you like playing Solo, this build can benefit greatly from using Companions! While any Companion set up can be helpful, a Companion that can buff and heal will be best for this build. I recommend Bastian Hallix for Companion on this build with the set up below. More information on Companions Builds and Skills can be found in our detailed Companion Guides section.
Recommended Gear
- All Light Armor – Quickened Trait
- Restoration Staff
Recommended Skills
- 1. Basalt Barrier
- 2. Searing Weapons
- 3. Skeletal Aegis
- 4. Starfall
- 5. Haste
- 6 ULT. Unleashed Rage
Additional Skills
The skills below may also be helpful in other situations.
Full Companion Build: AMPLIFIER
The AMPLIFIER Build is a fantastic build for Bastian Hallix, one of the Companions available to ESO players starting in the Blackwood Chapter. This build utilizes multiple buffs in order to amplify your own damage and defense potential. This build has tons of utility and will help you progress through many different forms of content!
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
- 10 Fortune’s Favor
- 15 Wanderer
- 50 Steadfast Enchantment
- 20 Rationer (Slot)
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Biting Aura (Slot)
- 50 Master-At-Arms (Slot)
- 50 Thaumaturge (Slot)
- 10 Fighting Finesse (Slot)
RED
- 50 Boundless Vitality (Slot)
- 50 Rejuvenation (Slot)
- 10 Sprinter
- 8 Hasty
- 20 Hero’s Vigor
- 10 Shield Master
- 50 Bastion (Slot)
– 900 Champion Points –
GREEN
- 50 Steed’s Blessing (Slot)
- 50 Gilded Fingers
- 10 Fortune’s Favor
- 60 Wanderer
- 50 Steadfast Enchantment
- 30 Rationer (Slot)
- 50 Breakfall
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Biting Aura (Slot)
- 50 Master-At-Arms (Slot)
- 50 Thaumaturge (Slot)
- 50 Fighting Finesse (Slot)
- 20 Eldritch Insight
- 20 Quick Recovery
- 20 Preparation
RED
- 50 Boundless Vitality (Slot)
- 50 Rejuvenation (Slot)
- 10 Sprinter
- 8 Hasty
- 20 Hero’s Vigor
- 10 Shield Master
- 50 Bastion (Slot)
- 50 Fortified (Slot)
- 30 Tumbling
– 1200 Champion Points –
GREEN
- 50 Steed’s Blessing (Slot)
- 50 Gilded Fingers
- 20 Fortune’s Favor
- 75 Wanderer
- 50 Steadfast Enchantment
- 30 Rationer (Slot)
- 50 Breakfall
- 75 Liquid Efficiency (Slot)
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Biting Aura (Slot)
- 50 Master-At-Arms (Slot)
- 50 Thaumaturge (Slot)
- 50 Fighting Finesse (Slot)
- 20 Eldritch Insight
- 20 Quick Recovery
- 20 Preparation
- 20 Flawless Ritual
- 30 War Mage
- 20 Elemental Aegis
- 20 Hardy
RED
- 50 Boundless Vitality (Slot)
- 50 Rejuvenation (Slot)
- 20 Sprinter
- 16 Hasty
- 20 Hero’s Vigor
- 10 Shield Master
- 50 Bastion (Slot)
- 50 Fortified (Slot)
- 30 Tumbling
- 20 Defiance
- 20 Tireless Guardian
- 30 Fortification
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!
This is why we created the ESO Zero To Hero Build Academy – A Simple, yet Powerful build system that teaches the fundamentals of ESO Theorycrafting, step-by-step.
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Our Guides are designed with New and Intermediate players in mind! Stop wasting hours searching the internet for the best ESO build information – get what you need NOW to succeed!
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