Category: Best ESO Builds, Best Dragonknight Builds, Solo Builds, One Bar Builds, Best Subclassing Builds, Heavy Attack Builds
This Elementalist Build for the Dragonknight is INSANE! Harness the powers of Fire, Frost, and Shock magic into a single build made for destruction!
This guide has been updated for The Elder Scrolls Online Update 49 & Season Zero.
Dragonknight Class Overview
The Dragonknight Class is an extremely powerful way to play in The Elder Scrolls Online. Dragonknights have many similarities with other classes in ESO such as dedicated Class Skill lines for DPS, for Healing, and for Tanking. Dragonknights are known for their sturdy nature as melee combat specialists but also have many powerful magic abilities. For a more detailed guide be sure to review our ESO Dragonknight Class Guide.
Subclassing Dragonknight Sets
Our primary focus on this build is DOT damage from all of our elemental skills as well as damage from our lightning staff, so the Deadly Strike set is an excellent start to this build.
Next, we’ve chosen another powerful set which also buffs our Damage Over Time effects in Runecarver’s Blaze. This set deals additional fire damage when our DOT’s tick, helping to increase our damage output.
Sea-Serpent’s Coil will be a powerful Mythic option for this build that increases our damage significantly in combat with two amazing buffs: Major Berserk and Major Courage!
The Maelstrom Destruction Staff, also known as the Crushing Wall set, can be used here for some additional damage on the backbar.
With only one gear piece left over, it makes the most sense to run a 1-piece monster set bonus here. My favorite option is the Slimecraw set, as it gives a sizable bonus to Critical Chance.
Click on a Set Name below to learn more.
Deadly Strike
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) Increase the damage your Damage Over Time and Channeled Abilities do by 15%.
Runecarver’s Blaze
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(3 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(4 items) Adds 1487 Offensive Penetration
(5 items) Your damage over time effects deal an additional 368 Flame Damage on the third damage tick. This damage scales off your Weapon or Spell Damage and always applies the Burning status effect.
Sea-Serpent’s Coil
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) While at full Health, you gain 40% damage resistance. After taking damage while at full Health in combat, you gain Serpent’s Rebuke for 10 seconds, snaring yourself by 40% and gaining Major Berserk and Major Courage, increasing your damage done by 10% and Weapon and Spell Damage by 430.
The damage resistance does not apply while Serpent’s Rebuke is active.
Slimecraw
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(2 items) Adds 113 Critical Chance, Gain Minor Berserk at all times, increasing your damage done by 5%
Subclassing Dragonknight Alternate Sets
For alternatives, you can use the Order’s Wrath set for an easy crafted option or sets like Elemental Catalyst which can easily proc off all three elements.
If not using a Mythic item you can also run several Monster Sets including Zaan for more damage or Iceheart for some protection.
If you’d like to be truly unkillable, The Ring Of The Pale Order can be used on this build for even more self-healing though for less damage overall.
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%.
Elemental Catalyst
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
(3 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(4 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
(5 items) Whenever you deal Flame, Shock, or Frost Damage, you apply a stack of Flame, Shock, or Frost Weakness to the enemy for 3 seconds. Each stack of an Elemental Weakness increases their Critical Damage taken by 3%. An enemy can only have one stack of each Elemental Weakness at a time.
Zaan
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(2 items) When you damage a nearby enemy with a Light or Heavy Attack, you have a 33% chance to create a beam of fire that will connect you to your enemy. The beam deals 2010 Flame Damage every 1 second to your enemy for 6 seconds. Every second, this damage increases by 100%. The beam is broken if the enemy moves 8 meters away from you. This effect can occur every 18 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.
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.
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!
Subclassing Dragonknight Solo Gear – Mythic
| Weapon/Armor | Set | Trait | Weight | Glyph |
| Main Hand | Deadly Strike Lightning Staff | Precise | NA | Absorb Magic |
| Backup | Maestrom Lightning Staff | Infused | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
| Head | Slimecraw | Divines | Heavy | Magicka |
| Shoulder | Runecarver’s Blaze | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Chest | Deadly Strike | Divines | Medium | Magicka |
| Waist | Runecarver’s Blaze | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Gloves | Runecarver’s Blaze | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Legs | Runecarver’s Blaze | Divines | Medium | Magicka |
| Feet | Runecarver’s Blaze | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Necklace | Sea-Serpent’s Coil | Bloodthirsty | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
| Ring 1 | Deadly Strike | Bloodthirsty | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
| Ring 2 | Deadly Strike | Bloodthirsty | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
Subclassing Dragonknight Solo Gear – No Mythic
| Weapon/Armor | Set | Trait | Weight | Glyph |
| Main Hand | Deadly Strike Lightning Staff | Precise | NA | Absorb Magic |
| Backup | Maestrom Lightning Staff | Infused | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
| Head | Iceheart | Divines | Heavy | Magicka |
| Shoulder | Iceheart | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Chest | Runecarver’s Blaze | Divines | Medium | Magicka |
| Waist | Runecarver’s Blaze | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Gloves | Runecarver’s Blaze | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Legs | Runecarver’s Blaze | Divines | Medium | Magicka |
| Feet | Runecarver’s Blaze | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Necklace | Deadly Strike | Bloodthirsty | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
| Ring 1 | Deadly Strike | Bloodthirsty | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
| Ring 2 | Deadly Strike | Bloodthirsty | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
Consumables, Race, Mundus
Race
My favorite race for this build is Khajiit due to their passive Health Recovery bonus. Other great options include High Elf thanks to the extra spell damage, max magicka, and Spell Recharge passive. For more details on all ESO Races and passive bonuses be sure to check out our Full ESO Race Guide.
Mundus
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
Bewitched Sugar Skulls
Increase Max Health by 4620, Max Stamina and Magicka by 4250, and Health Recovery by 462 for 2 hours.
These effects are scaled based on your level.
Potions
Basic Magicka Potions
Basic Magicka Potions
Basic Increase Armor Potions
Bugloss, Mountain Flower, Mudcrab Chitin
Dragonknight Subclassing Build Skill Lines
This build uses Subclassing for maximum effectiveness. The recommended skill lines for this build are:
Dragonknight Subclassing Build Skills
Main Weapon: LIGHTNING STAFF – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
- Burning Embers
- Unnerving Boneyard
- Revealing Flare or Inner Light
- Ulfsild’s Contigency or Structured Entropy
- Grave Lord’s Sacrifice
- ULT: Temporal Guard or Elemental Rage
Backup Weapon: LIGHTNING STAFF – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
- Elemental Blockade
- Cauterize or Incinerate
- Hearth And Home
- Boundless Storm
- Critical Surge
- ULT: Glacial Colossus
Skills Discussion & Rotation
Buffs
Maintain Grave Lord’s Sacrifice on the front bar and Critical Surge plus Boundless Storm on the backbar.
Rotation
Start by casting your buffs, then on the backbar cast Elemental Blockade, Cauterize and Hearth And Home -> Barswap -> Burning Embers, Unnerving Boneyard, Ulfsild’s Contigency.
Heavy Attack in between abilities on the frontbar for extra shock damage and to sustain Magicka. Then just recast your skills in order as they begin to fall off.
Passive Skills
Class Passives
- Combustion
- Traumatic Burns
- Fan The Flames
- A Soul Ablaze
- Capacitor
- Energized
- Amplitude
- Expert Mage
- 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
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
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Weapons Expert (Slot)
- 50 Deadly Aim (Slot)
- 50 Master-At-Arms (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
- 15 Wanderer
- 40 Steadfast Enchantment
- 30 Rationer (Slot)
- 50 Breakfall
- 50 Treasure Hunter (Slot)
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Weapons Expert (Slot)
- 50 Deadly Aim (Slot)
- 50 Master-At-Arms (Slot)
- 50 Reaving Blows (Slot)
- 20 Flawless Ritual
- 30 War Mage
RED
- 50 Boundless Vitality (Slot)
- 50 Rejuvenation (Slot)
- 20 Sprinter
- 8 Hasty
- 20 Hero’s Vigor
- 10 Shield Master
- 50 Bastion (Slot)
- 50 Fortified (Slot)
- 30 Tumbling
- 20 Defiance
– 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 Weapons Expert (Slot)
- 50 Deadly Aim (Slot)
- 50 Master-At-Arms (Slot)
- 50 Reaving Blows (Slot)
- 20 Flawless Ritual
- 30 War Mage
- 20 Eldritch Insight
- 20 Tireless Discipline
- 10 Quick Recovery
- 20 Preparation
- 20 Hardy
- 20 Elemental Aegis
RED
- 50 Boundless Vitality (Slot)
- 50 Rejuvenation (Slot)
- 20 Sprinter
- 8 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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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!
More Dragonknight Builds For ESO
Want more Dragonknight Builds? Check out our dedicated Dragonknight Builds overview page for even more great options!
