Category: Best ESO Builds, Best Arcanist Builds, Solo Builds, Best Subclassing Builds
This Frost Mage build using Subclassing is incredibly powerful for solo and group content, providing tons of damage, self-healing and defense. Unleash the chill with this amazing ESO Subclassing Build!
Arcanist Class Overview
The Arcanist Class is an extremely powerful way to play in The Elder Scrolls Online. Arcanists have many similarities with other classes in ESO such as dedicated Class Skill lines for DPS, for Healing, and for Tanking. Arcanists are also extremely unique in that they make use of a powerful new game mechanic called Crux. For a more detailed guide be sure to review our ESO Arcanist Class Guide located here.
Best Frost Mage Sets
First, the Frostbite set is ideal for this build as it increases our Frost-based damage by a ton, plus even more damage against enemies that are chilled or effected by Minor Brittle.
We’ve combined this with another strong damage-focused set that is easily craftable in Order’s Wrath. This gives us a nice combination of Critical Chance and Critical Damage!
For more healing, the Ring Of The Pale Order can be used for Solo Gameplay, making this build essentially unkillable.
A one-piece Monster Set is perfect for adding some extra stats to this build. A great option is Iceheart for the additional Critical Chance as it also fits the Icy theme for this build. If not running Ring Of The Pale Order, you can also run 2 pieces of Iceheart.
Finally, a backbar staff can be used such as the Maelstrom Arena staff for a small damage boost.
Frostbite
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(3 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(4 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(5 items) Increases your damage done with Frost abilities by 8%. Increases your damage done against Chilled enemies by 4%. Increases your damage done against enemies afflicted with Minor Brittle by 2%.
Order’s Wrath
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) Adds 943 Critical Chance, Increases your Critical Damage and Critical Healing by 8%.
Ring of The Pale Order
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Restore 20% of the damage you deal as Health. This value is decreased by 4% per ally you are grouped with. You cannot be healed by anyone but yourself, your pets, or your Companions.
Bleak heraldry covers the surface of this knightly signet. Those who place it on their finger feel a cold rush of power … and a deep, nagging paranoia.
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.
Ring Of The Pale Order Lead Locations
The Ring Of The Pale Order is the perfect Mythic for Solo Builds in ESO! Check out our full Ring Of The Pale Order Guide for ALL Lead Locations!
Best Frost Mage Alternative Sets
Another cold-based set you can use on this build in place of either primary set is Ysgramor’s Birthright. This will result in slightly less damage than above but it is an another Overland set so it will be available without crafting.
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(3 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
(4 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(5 items) Adds 400 Weapon and Spell Damage to your Frost Damage abilities.
Best Frost Mage Loadout – Mythic Version
| Weapon/Armor | Set | Trait | Weight | Glyph |
| Main Hand | Ice Staff Of Frostbite | Precise | NA | Absorb Magic |
| Backup | Maestrom Ice Staff | Infused | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
| Head | Iceheart | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Shoulder | Order’s Wrath | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Chest | Order’s Wrath | Divines | Heavy | Magicka |
| Waist | Frostbite | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Gloves | Order’s Wrath | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Legs | Order’s Wrath | Divines | Medium | Magicka |
| Feet | Order’s Wrath | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Necklace | Frostbite | Bloodthirsty | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
| Ring 1 | Frostbite | Bloodthirsty | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
| Ring 2 | Ring Of The Pale Order | Bloodthirsty | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
Best Frost Mage Loadout – No Mythic
| Weapon/Armor | Set | Trait | Weight | Glyph |
| Main Hand | Ice Staff Of Frostbite | Precise | NA | Absorb Magic |
| Backup | Maestrom Ice Staff | Infused | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
| Head | Iceheart | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Shoulder | Iceheart | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Chest | Order’s Wrath | Divines | Heavy | Magicka |
| Waist | Order’s Wrath | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Gloves | Order’s Wrath | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Legs | Order’s Wrath | Divines | Medium | Magicka |
| Feet | Order’s Wrath | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Necklace | Frostbite | Bloodthirsty | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
| Ring 1 | Frostbite | Bloodthirsty | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
| Ring 2 | Frostbite | Bloodthirsty | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
Race, Mundus, and Consumables
Race
Khajiit is my favorite race for this build due to their increased Critical Damage and Resource Pools! Other damage-focused races like High Elf, Dark Elf, and even Orc will work.
Mundus
Increases the Critical Strike rating by 1333
With 7 Divines armor pieces
Increases the Critical Strike rating by 2167
Food/Drink Buffs
Clockwork Citrus Filet
Increase Max Health by 3326, Health Recovery by 406, Max Magicka by 3080 and Magicka Recovery by 338 for 2 hours.
Ingredients: Red Meat, Lemon, Frost Mirriam, Perfect Roe
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.
Ingredients: Nightshade, Bervez Juice, Rice, Small Game
Potions
Basic Magicka Potions
Tri-Stat Potions
Subclassing Frost Mage Skill Lines
This build uses Subclassing for maximum effectiveness. The recommended skill lines for this build are:
Note: It’s important to use Arcanist as the main class for this build in order to use Tentacular Dread, but also to use Scribing to build Crux. While you can main other classes, they will be less effective than Arcanist as your primary class here.
Subclassing Frost Mage Skills
Main Weapon: FROST STAFF – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
Backup Weapon: FROST STAFF – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
- Elemental Blockade
- Winter’s Revenge
- Fulminating Rune or Barbed Trap
- Ice Fortress
- Recuperative Treatise
- ULT: Northern Storm
Subclassing Frost Mage Build Rotation
Start on the Backbar with: Recuperative Treatise -> Ice Fortress -> Elemental Blockade -> Winter’s Revenge -> Fulminating Rune -> Bar Swap.
Then on the Frontbar: Unnerving Boneyard -> Arctic Blast -> Ulfsild’s Contigency (spam until 3 Crux) -> Tentacular Dread
Notes:
- On the backbar, Ice Fortress and Recuperative Treatise usually only need to be recast every 2 rotations.
- On the frontbar, weaving in Heavy Attacks between your main abilities for free damage shields! (Frost Staff Passive)
- Tentacular Dread only needs to be cast once every 20 seconds to maintain the debuff in boss battles, but can be useful for crowd control even without 3 stacks of crux.
Subclassing Passive Skills
Class Passives
- Fated Fortune
- Harnessed Quintessence
- Psychic Lesion
- Splintered Secrets
- Glacial Presence
- Frozen Armor
- Icy Aura
- Piercing Cold
- Reusable Parts
- Death Knell
- Dismember
- Rapid Rot
Weapon Passives
Armor Passives
- Grace
- Evocation
- Spell Warding
- Prodigy
- Concentration
- Dexterity
- Wind Walker
- Agility
- Athletics
- Resolve
- Constitution
- Juggernaut
- Revitalize
- Rapid Mending
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 TREE
The Green Craft Constellation is focused on crafting and utility-centered upgrades.
Warfare TREE
The Blue Warfare Constellation focuses primarily on increasing player damage, healing and defenses
Fitness TREE
The Red Fitness Constellation is focused on character survival and sustain.
– 300 Champion Points –
GREEN
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Thaumaturge (Slot)
RED
– 600 Champion Points –
GREEN
- 50 Steed’s Blessing (Slot)
- 50 Gilded Fingers
- 10 Fortune’s Favor
- 15 Wanderer
- 40 Steadfast Enchantment
- 30 Rationer (Slot)
BLUE
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
- 15 Wanderer
- 40 Steadfast Enchantment
- 30 Rationer (Slot)
- 50 Breakfall
- 50 Treasure Hunter (Slot)
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Thaumaturge (Slot)
- 50 Biting Aura (Slot)
- 50 Wrathful Strikes (Slot)
- 50 Fighting Finesse (Slot)
- 20 Eldritch Insight
- 20 Tireless Discipline
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
- 30 Fortune’s Favor
- 15 Wanderer
- 50 Steadfast Enchantment
- 30 Rationer (Slot)
- 50 Breakfall
- 50 Treasure Hunter (Slot)
- 75 Liquid Efficiency (Slot)
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Reaving Blows (Slot)
- 50 Master-At-Arms (Slot)
- 50 Fighting Finesse (Slot)
- 50 Wrathful Strikes (Slot)
- 20 Eldritch Insight
- 20 Tireless Discipline
- 20 Quick Recovery
- 20 Preparation
- 20 Elemental Aegis
- 20 Hardy
- 40 Flawless Ritual
- 30 War Mage
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!
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More Arcanist Builds For ESO
Want more Arcanist Builds? Check out our dedicated Arcanist Builds overview page for even more great options! Or check out our new Subclassing Builds page!
