Top 5 SOLO TIPS For The Elder Scrolls Online

Can You Solo In The Elder Scrolls Online?

Short Answer: YES! You can play Solo quite successfully in the world of ESO. Whether you are brand new to The Elder Scrolls Online, taking on your first Mud Crab, or even a seasoned Veteran player, trying to take on a World Boss or Dungeon all by yourself, this guide will cover the basics to help you be successful!

Tip 5: Basic Combat

The basics of combat in The Elder Scrolls Online include casting Skills, doing damage with your weapons, and avoiding or mitigating enemy damage. Practicing these Combat Basics early on will help you prepare for later levels where Soloing content can become more challenging.

• Block Enemy Attacks – this is important because some bosses have hard-hitting attacks that can do Massive Damage to your character and also stun you. Blocking will reduce that damage by around 50%, and also keep your character from getting stunned, which is essential to staying alive. Remember though – Block is not free, and blocking too often will drain your stamina.
• Roll Dodge – this is another way to avoid damage by simply rolling out of the way. While your character is in motion, any incoming direct damage attack will always miss you. Again, roll dodging costs stamina, so be careful not to use it too often. Also, keep in mind that some special Area Of Effect (AOE) damage is undodgeable.
• Avoid RED AOE (Area Of Effect) Damage – Red Circle or Lines on the ground are telegraphs that tell you that something big is about to happen NEXT. So step out of the way, roll dodge, or block to reduce that incoming damage!
• Interrupt – combining your Block and Attack buttons will create a Bash effect. This can be used to interrupt enemies who are channeling special, longer abilities like self-heals or damage effects.

Tip 4: Understanding Damage Types

In The Elder Scrolls Online, it’s extremely important to understand what type of damage your character is capable of doing, and when it’s best to do so. In this example, we are speaking mostly about Single Target Damage, AOE Damage, Instant Damage, and Damage Over Time. Understanding when and how to combine these various damage types is essential.

• Single Target Damage – this damage is directed at a single targeted enemy. For this reason, Single Target Damage is best reserved for combat situations where the target count is low (1 – 3 enemies). This damage type is especially good for burning down bosses quickly.
• AOE (Area Of Effect) Damage – this damage type hits every enemy in a specific area, whether it is a cone, circle or straight line. In some cases, you must aim this damage, while in other cases it may flow from your character in a pre-determined shape or radius. This damage type is especially good for add phases of boss battles (more adds come out to be killed) or for clearing dungeons quickly.
• Instant Damage – instant damage happens, well, instantly – and it’s great for bursting down enemies quickly but in longer fights such as boss fights, instant damage abilities can be hard to sustain if that’s all you use. For that reason we have…
• Damage Over Time (DOT) – these skills have an initial, upfront cast but then continue to do damage for a set duration afterward. So cast these skills first to make sure they last their full duration, then add additional instant damage skills to ramp up your total damage even further!

Tip 3: Healing

There are several types of healing available to all builds in the game of ESO, including Healing Over Time, Burst Healing, and Passive Healing. Understanding these different types as well as how to mix them with needed will help you stay alive longer to Solo more difficult content.

• Heal Over Time – these longer duration heals are initially cast and then persist for a specific duration. Remember to cast these early on when you first begin taking damage, because the healing you receive is generally small but can add up over time if you keep the heal up consistently. Some examples of Heal Over Time Skills include Echoing Vigor (Alliance War) and Spirit Guardian (Necromancer).
• Burst Healing – this is a Powerful heal ability that heals for a large amount but can be costly in terms of the resources needed. In most cases you want to save these types of heals for emergencies, but make sure you have at least one available, because it can be the difference between life and death. Some examples of Burst Heal Skills include Rally (Two-Handed) and Twilight Matriarch (Sorcerer).
• Passive Healing – this is arguably the most effective type of healing in ESO for playing Solo. This is because passive healing is activated automatically while you do other things, letting you focus more on damage or boss mechanics while also restoring your health at the same time. Some examples of passive healing skills include Critical Surge (Sorcerer) and Puncturing Sweep (Templar).

Tip 2: Sustain

Sustain in ESO is a delicate balance between how your active skills cost to cast versus how much resources your character is recovering naturally. Not enough sustain? You will QUICKLY run out of Magicka or Stamina and no longer be able to cast skills. Too much sustain? Your resource pools will almost always be full, but your character will also be less effective – either doing less damage or healing. A good balance here is key.

• Your Character’s Recovery values are important. Remember, you can increase these values by choosing different Food or Drink options as well as adding more recovery to your Jewelry Enchants or through specific item sets.
• Look for passive skills that REDUCE the cost of your abilities. This is often found in the Armor Skill Lines, but can also be found in certain Class Passives.
• Several Active Skills also give additional magicka or stamina recovery and should be maintained at all times. Examples include Restoring Focus (Templar) and Shocking Siphon (Necromancer).
• Potions provide a quick burst of sustain, though they do have a 45-second cool down.
• Heavy Attacking will restore resources depending on the type of weapon used.

Tip 1: Damage Shields

If you really want to take your Soloing to the NEXT LEVEL in The Elder Scrolls Online, a simple but extremely effective strategy is to use Damage Shield. Damage Shields are special effects or abilities that ABSORB damage for you, helping your character take less damage overall and leading to greater survivability in challenging encounters.

• Damage shields take priority over your health bar. This means that enemies have to BREAK THROUGH your damage shield FIRST in order to do any damage to your character while that shield is active.
• Active Damage shield skills must be cast first before you see the benefit. This includes skills like Hardened Ward (Sorcerer) and Brawler (Two-Handed).
• Passive Damage Shields occur on your character automatically through proc conditions, usually on item sets. For example, Iceheart, Mother Ciannait, and the Combat Physician Set all give free damage shields, though they do have a cool-down.
• A damage shield glyph can be crafted or purchased and applied to your weapons to provide another free damage shield. Combining this trait on an infused weapon gives even more protection.
• The Champion Point node Bastion increases the value of all your character’s damage shields.

That’s all for now! Good luck soloing in The Elder Scrolls Online!

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