Looking to survive and thrive while playing Solo in The Elder Scrolls Online? These are the best Monster Sets you need to take your Solo Build to the next level!
This guide has been updated for the Update 46, the Season of the Worm Cult of the Elder Scrolls Online (ESO).
In the Elder Scrolls Online, Solo Builds need to have a strong balance of damage, mobility and survivability. Part of that comes from using the best Monster Helms, as well as using Mythic Items and five piece gear sets. In this guide, we rank the top 10 Solo Monster Sets including base game options for all types of players in ESO.
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Top 10 Best Solo Monster Sets Ranked in ESO
Iceheart, Selene, and Nerien’eth are the best Solo Monster helm sets in ESO. Iceheart is recommended for many Solo Builds as it provides an automatic damage shield which can help you survive more easily. Selene is great for single-target damage. Nerien’eth is great for AOE damage situations versus multiple targets.
Below are the top 10 best Solo Monster Sets Ranked in ESO from best to worst:
- Iceheart: easy damage shield set
- Zaan: heavy damage flame proc that can hit multiple targets
- Selene: great single target burst damage
- Nerien’eth: great AOE damage with easy proc chance
- Balorgh: great when using ultimates for increased damage and penetration
- Slimecraw: essential 1-piece Monster Set to pair with Mythics or One Bar Builds
- Stormfist: provides excellent AOE damage plus extra Stamina sustain
- Maw Of The Infernal: great for Heavy Attack and Sorcerer Builds
- Kra’gh: great for extra penetration and easy to obtain
- Bloodspawn: good starter set for survival and ultimate generation
Helmet pieces for these sets are typically obtained by defeating the final boss in veteran dungeons.
10. Bloodspawn
Bloodspawn
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 129 Stamina Recovery
(2 items) When you take damage, you have a 6% chance to generate 13 Ultimate and increase your Physical Resistance and Spell Resistance by 3731 for 5 seconds. This effect can occur once every 5 seconds.
The Bloodspawn set is a classic in The Elder Scrolls Online, providing extra Armor and Ultimate generation when you get hit. As a solo player, you’ll likely be getting hit pretty often, so Bloodspawn will be procing easily. Extra Stamina Regeneration is not an amazing stat but it can be useful for both Stamina and Magicka focused builds as you always need Stamina to Sprint and Dodge Roll.
You can obtain Bloodspawn from the Spindleclutch II Veteran dungeon, which is part of the base game of The Elder Scrolls Online. While there are certainly better Monster Sets you can eventually get, Bloodspawn is a great starting option for increased survivability and ultimate generation.
9. Kra’gh
Kra’gh
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 1487 Offensive Penetration
(2 items) When you deal damage, you have a 10% chance to spawn dreugh limbs that create shockwaves in front of you dealing 249 Physical damage every 0.6 seconds for 2.4 seconds. This effect can occur once every 6 seconds and scales off the higher of your Weapon or Spell Damage.
The Kra’gh Monster helm set is a simple proc set that deals Physical damage in a nearby area. This effect can occur up to once very 6 seconds with a 10% chance, and the damage it deals scales off the higher of your Weapon or Spell Damage. What is also unique about this set is the 1-piece bonus which is very nice for Solo Content, and can even be paired with a Mythic if the entire Monster set is not used.
You can obtain the Kra’gh Monster Set from the Fungal Grotto I Veteran dungeon, which is part of the base game of The Elder Scrolls Online. The primary downside to running this set is the limited range of the Dreugh shockwaves which spawn close to the player, so for enemies outside of that range, they receive no damage. Still, the extra 1-piece Penetration bonus can be very helpful as more Offensive Penetration means ALL of your skills do more damage. You can even combine one piece of this Monster set with a mythic item.
8. Maw Of The Infernal
Maw Of The Infernal
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
(2 items) When you deal damage with a Light or Heavy Attack, you have a 33% chance to summon a fire breathing Daedroth for 15 seconds. The Daedroth’s attacks deal 3865 Flame Damage, and alternate between Fiery Breath, Fiery Jaws, and Jagged Claw, which alternate once every 2 seconds. The Daedroth can only be summoned once every 15 seconds.
The Maw Of The Infernal Monster set is an excellent option for Heavy Attack builds as well as Sorcerer’s looking to focus on the Daedric Summoning Skill Line. That’s because this set procs easily from both basic light and heavy attacks, so its extremely easy to use, plus the summoned Daedroth counts as a Daedric Pet which will benefit from skills like the Sorcerer’s Daedric Prey. We recently released a Sorcerer Pet build for subclassing that makes use of this awesome set!
Maw of the Infernal is obtained in The Banished Cells II dungeon. This is a base game dungeon, and should be easy to complete for most players.
7. Stormfist
Stormfist
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 129 Stamina Recovery
(2 items) When you deal damage, you have a 10% chance to create a thunderfist to crush the enemy, dealing 1650 Shock Damage every 1 second for 3 seconds to all enemies within 4 meters and a final 8470 Physical Damage when the fist closes. This effect can occur once every 8 seconds. The Shock Damage dealt from this set bypasses Spell Resistance.
The Stormfist Monster set is especially good for Stamina builds and ranged builds such as the Warden Bow Build. The one-piece Stamina Recovery bonus can be helpful for some extra sustain, though it will not improve your damage. However, the Stormfist proc itself is extremely powerful, dealing multiple types of damage including Shock and Physical Damage, and the Shock damage also bypasses enemy Spell Resistance.
You can obtain Stormfist from Veteran Tempest Island, a base game dungeon. The main downside of using Stormfist is that your target needs to be stationary to receive the damage, so for fights with plenty of movement this may not be your best option. Still, for players running more single target focused builds, or if you lack stamina sustain playing solo, Stormfist makes a great choice!
6. Slimecraw
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%
The Slimecraw Monster set has been a staple for PVE builds for several years, though primarily as a 1-piece bonus, and not a full Monster set. Why? It’s because many ESO builds decide to use a 1-piece Mythic item such as The Oakensoul Ring or Ring Of The Pale Order which makes running a full 2-piece Monster set impossible. The best alternative in cases like these is to run a 1-piece Monster set, and Slimecraw provides a powerful 1-piece bonus with it’s additional Critical Chance.
You can obtain Slimecraw monster set from Wayrest Sewers I base game dungeon, which is one of the easiest to complete in ESO. There are alternatives to this one piece granting the same bonus, but this is the easiest to get. The major downside is obvious, the two piece is almost useless. However, consider using Slimecraw in a more advanced setup with a mythic for some of the most damage in ESO.
While Slimecraw is a strong choice for its critical chance 1-piece bonus and Minor Berserk, it’s important to consider alternatives that provide the Minor Force buff. Sets like Medusa and Tzogvin’s Warband offer a powerful Minor Force buff, which increases critical damage and is highly valued for solo players. These sets make it easier to maintain constant uptime of the Minor Force buff, streamlining rotations and boosting overall damage output compared to relying solely on Slimecraw’s critical chance bonus.
5. Balorgh
Balorgh
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(2 items) When you use an Ultimate ability, you gain Weapon Damage and Spell Damage equal to the amount of total Ultimate consumed, and Physical and Spell Penetration equal to 23 times the amount for 12 seconds.
When it comes to burst damage monster helm sets, NOTHING beats Balorgh. This monster helm allows you to save up ultimate and once consumed (depending on the amount), gain penetration and weapon or spell damage. Essentially, you save up 500 ultimate for solo arena boss fights. Just as they spawn, you drop an ultimate and unload all of your high damage skills and spam your attacks. Bosses will melt in seconds making it a must have set for solo play.
You can obtain Balorgh from March of Sacrifices dungeon, which requires Wolfhunter DLC. This set is a staple in PVE DPS, and also PvP where burst damage is key. However, Balorgh falls behind other best DPS monster sets because it’s most effective for only 12 seconds at a time.
4. Nerien’eth
Nerien’eth
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(2 items) When you deal direct damage, you have a 10% chance to summon a Lich crystal that explodes after 2 seconds, dealing 8800 Magic Damage to all enemies within 4 meters. This effect can occur once every 3 seconds.
The Nerien’eth Monster set is a fantastic option for Solo Builds in ESO due to its massive damage lich crystals which can trigger every 3 seconds. Moreover, Nerien’eth can be used at range or melee, making it highly effective for almost any builds. And if that weren’t enough, Nerien’eth Lich crystal proc is AOE damage, giving you an edge if using a single target heavy build.
You can obtain Nerien’eth Monster Helm set in Crypt of Hearts II base game dungeon. It’s best used on builds that deal multiple sources of “direct damage.” For instance, a Templar using Jabs / Sweeps triggers multiple direct damage sources in a second, granting a much higher proc chance. However, our favorite is still a Magicka Nightblade, because you can use it range with a spammable class attack and do great damage without being up close.
There’s not much to criticize Nerien’eth on, outside of the one piece bonus not being critical, and having less damage than Zaan’s. However, it’s a perfect DPS monster set for those that one range, with a direct damage spammable attack.
3. Selene
Selene
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(2 items) When you deal Martial melee damage, you have a 15% chance to call on a primal spirit that mauls the closest enemy in front of you after 1.3 seconds for 1890 Physical Damage. This effect can occur once every 4 seconds.
The Selene monster helm is one of the best sets in ESO for single target damage. You have a 15% chance to trigger a massive bear in front of you doing physical damage with this set. The trick to using this set is making sure the bear lands, it’s attack after a 1.3 second delay. Sometimes monster move out of the way or miss, thus limiting Selene’s effectiveness.
You can obtain the Selene monster helm in Selene’s Web, another base game dungeon. The best way to use Selene’s is on a stamina Nightblade build or any that has a melee main spammable to ensure that you are in sufficient range for the Bear to connect with your target.
2. Zaan
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.
For those looking to maximize their damage for Solo Content in ESO, the best option by far is Zaan, due to it’s incredible damage potential when the two piece bonus is triggered. Once triggered with light or heavy attack, you attach a beam to the target, dealing flame damage over six seconds. The damage increases as you hold, and if you move away from 8 meters it resets. Therefore, the monster helm is entirely melee dependent, but the damage is unmatched and most endgame PvE builds play in melee range.
Another reason Zaan is so strong is the one piece also offers critical chance just like Slimecraw. Moreover, since it’s flame damage, you can increase it’s overall output with skills like Engulfing Flame and other set bonuses. However, there are a lot of limitations to Zaan’s. You need to be in melee, you need to stay close to your target, and you need to be good with light attack weaving. If you do these things, nothing will melt a parse dummy or a boss like Zaan!
You can obtain Zaan in Scalecaller Peak dungeon, requiring Dragon Bones DLC. Use a two piece monster set, and two other five pieces for optimal damage. Super hardcore players have a double proc setup with a mythic. Meaning, one five piece is activated on the back bar (Whorl of Depth), then when you switch another is active on the front (Pillar of Nirn). It’s a complex setup but can produce some of the highest damage in ESO.
Zaan is a monster set that deals significant flame damage to enemies, making it a popular choice for magicka DPS builds. The set’s proc can apply consistent pressure in both PvE and PvP scenarios. Zaan is especially effective for builds with high spell critical, as increased spell critical chance further boosts the set’s flame damage output. This synergy makes Zaan a top pick for players looking to maximize their burst potential.
1. Iceheart
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.
The Iceheart Monster helm set ranks number 1 on this list thanks to its impressive blend of offensive and defensive bonuses. The one piece is useful because it adds a line of critical (roughly 2%). The two piece grants a damage shield that while holds, does AOE frost damage. Mostly this monster helm is recommended and used in solo arenas where survivability is critical. In Veteran Maelstrom or Veteran Vateshran Hollows, Iceheart shines when other monster helms lack any survivability.
You can obtain the Iceheart Monster helm in Direfrost Keep, a base game dungeon. We recommend using this monster helm when you don’t have the Pale Order Mythic Ring or other higher survivability mythics or monster helms. Moreover, the one piece provides critical, helpful if using a mythic so it’s a dual purpose monster helm worth collecting.
The Final Word
We hope you found this summary of the ESO Best Solo Monster Sets helpful. Make sure to check out more Monster Set guides for each role listed below.
