The BEST Secret XP Grind Locations In ESO

Most players in The Elder Scrolls Online are familiar with the concept of Grinding For Experience (XP). This is simply the process of gathering up as many enemies as possible and quickly killing them off in order to gain maximum experience. Many players are also aware of the “popular” grind locations in the game like Skyreach and Alik’r Zombies – but the problem with these options is that they are usually Ultra crowded, especially during prime time hours. The solution? Grind XP in places that no one knows about!

The Best XP Grind Locations in ESO

Many of the locations in this guide are unlocked by specific quests or are hidden away in unknown locations, which means they will generally not be as crowded as other locations. Less crowds means more experience for you!

10 – Fort Virak, Stonefalls

Many soldiers AND zombies are located just outside the gates of Fort Virak, making it a great Grind location. It is also in the far north corner of Stone Falls, far away from any major towns or wayshrines, which means there is rarely anyone here. Grab as many enemies as you can and create a wide circle, using the rocks as line of site protection. Once all your enemies are grouped, lay down some thick AOE damage to get them down as quickly as possible.

9 – Deep Graves, Shadowfen

Deep Graves is an ancient ruin located in the zone of Shadowfen. This zone is already pretty ignored by most, and the fact that we are against the south wall of the zone makes it even more unlikely you will ever see anyone else grinding here. Your primary target in this location will be wisps. Wisps are melee enemies with fairly low HP that also happen to hit like a wet noodle, making them extremely easy to defeat. Circle around the inside and outside of the ruins, picking up as many wisps as you can in each pull. You can also grab any extra enemies you see around the outside of the ruins like Giant Snakes.

8 – Dune, Reaper’s March

Dune is another great grinding location in the Aldemeri Dominion faction zone of Reaper’s March. To access the best XP grinding area, walk up the stairs from the wayshrine and take the first left. Here, you should find plenty of Clannfears and Daedroths. Usually, I pull these in groups of 3-4 because they are a bit tougher than normal enemies. While this can be challenging, it’s also great for XP grinding because the game actually gives you MORE experience than you would get for a regular enemy. Clannfears give you 50% bonus experience and Deadroths give you 100% (double) experience.

Keep in mind that there are some quests here associated with restoring the Mage’s Guild, but if you complete those then all the enemies will disappear!

7 – Cliffs Of Failure, Coldharbor

Many people know Coldharbor for grinding zombies, but my favorite spot in the zone is actually a unique quest area called Cliffs Of Failure. To get started, enter the portal on the cliff and continue on through until you reach an open area on the opposite cliff side. This area is absolutely huge, but I tend to stick to the large, open space in the middle. Here you can easily pull from groups of skeletal soldiers (which are melee enemies – much easier to kill) and make a wide circle. The respawn time is also fast enough where as you complete the circle the first enemies should just be coming back for you.

6 – The Vile Manse, Reaper’s March

To get started at The Vile Manse in Reaper’s March, you’ll need to complete the initial quest on the top floor to gain access to the basement. The basement itself is also a popular grind spot but is often crowded during prime time. To bypass the crowds, take a left when first entering the basement and keep heading down until you reach a giant hole in the floor. Dropping down into this hole will unlock the secret underground part of the zone which is even better for grinding experience and gold and is usually much less crowded.

5 – Moonhenge, Greenshade

Moonhenge in the zone of Greenshade is a fun quest area that unlocks your own, personal Daedric plane full of baddies ready for the slaying! What could be better? Remember that the Deadroths and Clannfears also provide bonus XP due to their extra health. And even though this is a pretty interesting side quest to see all the way through, keep in mind that if you finish the quest you will lose access to this area permanently – so don’t complete the quest yet if you enjoy the grind here!

4 – White Rose Prison, Shadowfen

Many players in ESO are aware of the group arena called Black Rose Prison, but did you know there is also a White Rose Prison in the base game zone of Shadowfen? In this specific prison, the prisons are turning feral, attacking everything in sight including the guards! For XP grinding, these enemies are quite nice because they only use melee abilities and also actually count as undead, meaning you can also level up your Fighter’s Guild skill line at the same time. By advancing the quest further you also unlock the inside of the prison which has even more enemies.

3 – Bandaari Trading Post Camps, Malabal Tor

The Bandaari Trading Post camps in Malabal Tor is an interesting location for grinding XP because in this area you actually have a neutral faction of mercenaries that are not actively aggressive towards players. However, they are still excellent for grinding because of how many mercenaries are in the camps. These NPC’s also have a very fast respawn timer. Don’t worry — killing them will not trigger bounties or guards to attack you in the nearby trading post either.

2 – Sap Collection Facility, Coldharbor

Our number 2 location on the list is a great, hidden spot that can only be unlocked by starting a quest line on the outskirts of Coldharbor, so you will rarely see anyone here and even if you do they usually are just passing through to complete the quest objective. Here at the Sap Collection Facility you’ll need to talk to Treeminder Xohaneel to begin the quest line, then approach the base of the pyramids. Next, talk to An-Jeen-Sakka to initiate the Trial Of The Body quest. This should put a new marker on your map for the Sap Collection Facility within the nearby pyramid. Once inside you’ll encounter several groups of tightly packed Deadric enemies which extremely fast respawn timers – perfect for grinding XP!

1 – Camlorn Fort, Glenumbra

My favorite XP grinding location in ESO is a tiny, unmarked Fort just south of Camlorn Castle in the zone of Glenumbra. This area is part of another zone quest called Rally Cry. To start the quest, simply talk to the General standing outside the fort, then enter through the main gates. Here you’ll find the Orc warrior Shaza gra-Dasik – join up with her and get ready to slay some werewolves!

What’s great about this quest is that as Shaza walks through the fort she spawns multiple waves of werewolves in addition to those already inside the fort, giving us tons of enemies to defeat. Remember also that since werewolves have higher health than normal enemies they also provide extra experience!

If you enjoy this location then don’t complete the quest. Simply exit the fort once you’ve killed all the enemies, drop the quest from your journal and start it all over again by speaking to the general outside.

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