Warden Damage Dealer

The highest single-target parse. A bear that never leaves, frost status effects on every tick, and your own Major Breach.

Update 52 (PTS)PvE · Damage DealerPure classAdvancedMeleeStaminaCompanionsLast reviewed 2026-10-27

Update 52 (PTS) version

This page is the Update 52 version of this damage dealer build. Update 52 is on the PTS until January 19, 2027, so numbers can still move. Skill and set tooltips still show the live Update 51 text; hover one that changes to see what's new. For what works in game today, switch to Update 51 in the version picker (top right, or in the menu on phones). The full list is in the Update 52 patch notes.

Overview

The Stamina Warden is the top single-target build on the list, at about 183k on the 21 million Health dummy with full trial gear. Wild Guardian sits on both bars so the bear stays out the whole fight, and you never spend the Ultimate: Shattered Paths Signet adds damage for every point of Ultimate you hold.

Arctic Blast and Winter's Revenge keep the boss Chilled, and Traveling Knife doubles its chance to suffer status effects, so Chilled procs land constantly. Deep Fissure puts Major and Minor Breach on the boss, which helps a lot when your tank doesn't.

Wild Adaptation turns every status effect on the boss into Weapon and Spell Damage, and Glacial Obstinance adds 15% more while you're at full Health. It's a long priority list with ten things to keep up, so it suits players who already know their fights.

Strengths

Best single-target damage of the eight builds.
Major and Minor Breach of your own from Deep Fissure.
Bull Netch and Lotus Blossom keep your Stamina topped up.

Weaknesses

Ten things to keep up, and you hold your Ultimate all fight.
Wild Guardian is single target, so trash is weaker than the area builds.
Needs Aerie's Cry from the Infinite Archive and Whorl of the Depths from Dreadsail Reef.

Buffs and debuffs you bring on bosses

You get

Enemies get

Class Mastery

Pure-class characters with all three class lines at rank 50 can slot two Class Mastery passives (added in Update 50).

Wild Adaptation
333 Weapon and Spell Damage for each status effect on the boss, up to five. Traveling Knife and the frost skills keep several on it.
Glacial Obstinance
Winter's Embrace casts set off Bond with Nature, and when its heal finds you at full Health you get 15% more Weapon and Spell Damage.

What changes in Update 52

Update 52 is on the PTS (patch 12.2.0, from 26 October 2026) and goes live on 19 January 2027. This version follows the first PTS week, so numbers can still move. Skill and set tooltips on this page still show the live Update 51 text.

Class. No Warden changes in Update 52; the class refresh is still to come.

Traits. Nirnhoned weapons rise to 20% more weapon damage (from 15%) and Precise to 7.4% Critical Chance (from 7.2%), while Charged drops to 225% (from 235%). Nirnhoned main hands get a little stronger against Charged ones; the gear table stays as written until PTS numbers settle.

DPS Simulation

The Boss setup played by the DPS Simulator on the 21 million Health Trial dummy, with its group buffs and debuffs, Light Attack weaving and a full Ultimate bar to start. It's #5 of 16 for single target on the tier list, #8 overall.

Simulated DPS: 161,708
Fight: 129.9 s
Front bar: 9,039 damage · 54% crit · 125% crit damage

Where the damage comes from

Rapid Strikes19.2%
LALight Attack12.3%
Wild Guardian12.0%
Deep Fissure10.7%
Stampede7.5%
Winter's Revenge4.9%
Arctic Blast4.7%
Barbed Trap4.4%
…Everything else24.4%

Damage type

Frost13.3%
Flame4.4%
Disease0.2%
Shock0.4%
Magic13.0%
Poison4.4%
Physical44.3%
Bleed20.0%

77.7% direct, 22.3% over time.

Group buffs it leans on most

Major Vulnerability−12.6k
Aggressive Horn−8.7k
Major Slayer−7.8k
Major Courage−7.6k
Elemental Catalyst−6.5k
Minor Savagery−6.2k

DPS lost if the group didn't bring it.

A simulation, not a parse: it uses UESP tooltip numbers, plays a clean rotation and assumes you sustain it. Light Attack, status effect and pet damage are estimates. Open this run in the DPS Simulator to change gear, buffs or the rotation and see the full breakdown.

Skill Setups

Every damage dealer build has a Boss setup for single targets and a Trash setup that swaps a slot or two for packs. The gear stays the same for both.

Single target: every slot either hits the boss harder or buffs you. Keep your damage over time effects and buffs up, then spam your spammable in between.

What this setup brings

You get

Enemies get

Front bar

Dual Wield

1

2

3

4

5

R

Back bar

Two Handed · Greatsword

1

2

3

4

5

R

Slot	Skill	Why it's slotted
Front 1	Rapid Strikes Dual Wield Channel time: 0.8 secondsRange: 7 metresCost: 2,430 Stamina Your single-target spammable: four quick physical hits.	Your single-target spammable: four quick physical hits.
Front 2	Deep Fissure Animal Companions Cast time: InstantDuration: 9 secondsCost: 2,700 Magicka Big hit that puts Major and Minor Breach on the boss.	Big hit that puts Major and Minor Breach on the boss.
Front 3	Traveling Knife Scribed as Venomous Knife Cast time: InstantRange: 15 metresCost: 3,402 Stamina Scribed: doubles the boss's status effect chance and gives you Minor Berserk.	Scribed: doubles the boss's status effect chance and gives you Minor Berserk.
Front 4	Soul Burst Scribed as Bloody Burst Cast time: InstantCost: 2,892 Stamina Scribed area bleed, and Minor Intellect and Endurance. Your trash spammable.	Scribed area bleed, and Minor Intellect and Endurance. Your trash spammable.
Front 5	Barbed Trap Fighters Guild Cast time: InstantDuration: 20 secondsCost: 3,240 Stamina Bleed trap that gives you Minor Force (10% Critical Damage) while it's out. Recast it as it ends.	Bleed trap that gives you Minor Force (10% Critical Damage) while it's out. Recast it as it ends.
Front R	Wild Guardian Animal Companions Cast time: 2.5 secondsCost: Free The bear stays out while it's slotted on both bars. Don't cast its active during the fight: Shattered Paths Signet hits harder the more Ultimate you hold. Cast it at about 1% boss Health.	The bear stays out while it's slotted on both bars. Don't cast its active during the fight: Shattered Paths Signet hits harder the more Ultimate you hold. Cast it at about 1% boss Health.
Back 1	Arctic Blast Winter's Embrace Cast time: InstantDuration: 18 secondsCost: 3,780 Magicka 20-second frost damage around you that keeps setting off Chilled.	20-second frost damage around you that keeps setting off Chilled.
Back 2	Winter's Revenge Winter's Embrace Cast time: InstantRange: 28 metresDuration: 12 secondsCost: 3,240 Magicka Ground frost damage with a higher status effect chance, so it procs Chilled a lot.	Ground frost damage with a higher status effect chance, so it procs Chilled a lot.
Back 3	Lotus Blossom Green Balance Cast time: InstantDuration: 60 secondsCost: 1,350 Magicka Its heals keep setting off Nature's Gift for sustain, and it gives you Major Savagery. Lasts 60 seconds.	Its heals keep setting off Nature's Gift for sustain, and it gives you Major Savagery. Lasts 60 seconds.
Back 4	Stampede Two Handed Cast time: InstantRange: 22 metresDuration: 15 secondsCost: 4,590 Stamina Gap closer that leaves a burning patch under the boss. It procs your weapon glyph over and over, and with Merciless Charge it adds direct damage.	Gap closer that leaves a burning patch under the boss. It procs your weapon glyph over and over, and with Merciless Charge it adds direct damage.
Back 5	Bull Netch Animal Companions Cast time: InstantDuration: 25 secondsCost: Free Restores Stamina over time and gives you Major Brutality. Every 5 seconds it cleanses an effect, or gives you 5% more damage if there's nothing to cleanse.	Restores Stamina over time and gives you Major Brutality. Every 5 seconds it cleanses an effect, or gives you 5% more damage if there's nothing to cleanse.
Back R	Wild Guardian Animal Companions Cast time: 2.5 secondsCost: Free The bear stays out while it's slotted on both bars. Don't cast its active during the fight: Shattered Paths Signet hits harder the more Ultimate you hold. Cast it at about 1% boss Health.	The bear stays out while it's slotted on both bars. Don't cast its active during the fight: Shattered Paths Signet hits harder the more Ultimate you hold. Cast it at about 1% boss Health.

Scribing

Scribed skill

Venomous Knife

Traveling Knife · Poison Damage / Assassin's Misery / Berserk

Cast time: Instant
Target: Enemy
Range: 15 metres
Cost: 3,402 Stamina

Poison Damage

Focus script: Deals 2,014 Physical Damage to an enemy and 3,022 Poison Damage to enemies between you and them on return.

Assassin's Misery

Signature script: Increases the chance to apply status effects on enemies by 100% for 10 seconds.

Berserk

Affix script: Grants you Minor Berserk for 20 seconds, increasing damage done by 5%.

Doubles the boss's chance to suffer status effects for 10 seconds, and gives you Minor Berserk for 20. Recast it every 10 seconds for the status chance, not every 20.

Scribed skill

Bloody Burst

Soul Burst · Bleed Damage / Lingering Torment / Intellect and Endurance

Cast time: Instant
Target: Area
Radius: 8 metres
Cost: 2,892 Stamina

Bleed Damage

Focus script: Deals 3,777 Bleed Damage to enemies.

Lingering Torment

Signature script: Deals 6,290 Magic Damage over 20 seconds to enemies.

Intellect and Endurance

Affix script: Grants Minor Intellect and Minor Endurance for 20 seconds, increasing Magicka and Stamina Recovery by 15%.

Area bleed with a lingering damage over time effect, and Minor Intellect and Endurance for 15% more Magicka and Stamina Recovery. Your area spammable.

Open the Boss setup in the Build Editor to change skills, gear and stats.

Simulate it on the Trial dummy to see its DPS, where the damage comes from and what each buff is worth.

On trash, Proximity Detonation takes Barbed Trap's slot, and Northern Storm takes the front-bar Wild Guardian so you have an area Ultimate. Spam Soul Burst instead of Rapid Strikes, and pre-cast Deep Fissure before the pull.

What this setup brings

You get

Enemies get

Front bar

Dual Wield

1

2

3

4

5

R

Back bar

Two Handed · Greatsword

1

2

3

4

5

R

Slot	Skill	Why it's slotted
Front 1	Rapid Strikes Dual Wield Channel time: 0.8 secondsRange: 7 metresCost: 2,430 Stamina Your single-target spammable: four quick physical hits.	Your single-target spammable: four quick physical hits.
Front 2	Deep Fissure Animal Companions Cast time: InstantDuration: 9 secondsCost: 2,700 Magicka Big hit that puts Major and Minor Breach on the boss.	Big hit that puts Major and Minor Breach on the boss.
Front 3	Traveling Knife Scribed as Venomous Knife Cast time: InstantRange: 15 metresCost: 3,402 Stamina Scribed: doubles the boss's status effect chance and gives you Minor Berserk.	Scribed: doubles the boss's status effect chance and gives you Minor Berserk.
Front 4	Soul Burst Scribed as Bloody Burst Cast time: InstantCost: 2,892 Stamina Scribed area bleed, and Minor Intellect and Endurance. Your trash spammable.	Scribed area bleed, and Minor Intellect and Endurance. Your trash spammable.
Front 5	Proximity Detonation Assault Cast time: 1 secondRange: 28 metresDuration: 4 secondsCost: 3,510 Magicka Cast it a few seconds before you reach the pack: it bursts for more the more enemies are near.	Cast it a few seconds before you reach the pack: it bursts for more the more enemies are near.
Front R	Northern Storm Winter's Embrace Cast time: InstantDuration: 8 secondsCost: 200 Ultimate Area Ultimate for packs. Cast it when the pack is gathered.	Area Ultimate for packs. Cast it when the pack is gathered.
Back 1	Arctic Blast Winter's Embrace Cast time: InstantDuration: 18 secondsCost: 3,780 Magicka 20-second frost damage around you that keeps setting off Chilled.	20-second frost damage around you that keeps setting off Chilled.
Back 2	Winter's Revenge Winter's Embrace Cast time: InstantRange: 28 metresDuration: 12 secondsCost: 3,240 Magicka Ground frost damage with a higher status effect chance, so it procs Chilled a lot.	Ground frost damage with a higher status effect chance, so it procs Chilled a lot.
Back 3	Lotus Blossom Green Balance Cast time: InstantDuration: 60 secondsCost: 1,350 Magicka Its heals keep setting off Nature's Gift for sustain, and it gives you Major Savagery. Lasts 60 seconds.	Its heals keep setting off Nature's Gift for sustain, and it gives you Major Savagery. Lasts 60 seconds.
Back 4	Stampede Two Handed Cast time: InstantRange: 22 metresDuration: 15 secondsCost: 4,590 Stamina Gap closer that leaves a burning patch under the boss. It procs your weapon glyph over and over, and with Merciless Charge it adds direct damage.	Gap closer that leaves a burning patch under the boss. It procs your weapon glyph over and over, and with Merciless Charge it adds direct damage.
Back 5	Bull Netch Animal Companions Cast time: InstantDuration: 25 secondsCost: Free Restores Stamina over time and gives you Major Brutality. Every 5 seconds it cleanses an effect, or gives you 5% more damage if there's nothing to cleanse.	Restores Stamina over time and gives you Major Brutality. Every 5 seconds it cleanses an effect, or gives you 5% more damage if there's nothing to cleanse.
Back R	Northern Storm Winter's Embrace Cast time: InstantDuration: 8 secondsCost: 200 Ultimate Area Ultimate for packs. Cast it when the pack is gathered.	Area Ultimate for packs. Cast it when the pack is gathered.

Scribing

Scribed skill

Venomous Knife

Traveling Knife · Poison Damage / Assassin's Misery / Berserk

Cast time: Instant
Target: Enemy
Range: 15 metres
Cost: 3,402 Stamina

Poison Damage

Focus script: Deals 2,014 Physical Damage to an enemy and 3,022 Poison Damage to enemies between you and them on return.

Assassin's Misery

Signature script: Increases the chance to apply status effects on enemies by 100% for 10 seconds.

Berserk

Affix script: Grants you Minor Berserk for 20 seconds, increasing damage done by 5%.

Doubles the boss's chance to suffer status effects for 10 seconds, and gives you Minor Berserk for 20. Recast it every 10 seconds for the status chance, not every 20.

Scribed skill

Bloody Burst

Soul Burst · Bleed Damage / Lingering Torment / Intellect and Endurance

Cast time: Instant
Target: Area
Radius: 8 metres
Cost: 2,892 Stamina

Bleed Damage

Focus script: Deals 3,777 Bleed Damage to enemies.

Lingering Torment

Signature script: Deals 6,290 Magic Damage over 20 seconds to enemies.

Intellect and Endurance

Affix script: Grants Minor Intellect and Minor Endurance for 20 seconds, increasing Magicka and Stamina Recovery by 15%.

Area bleed with a lingering damage over time effect, and Minor Intellect and Endurance for 15% more Magicka and Stamina Recovery. Your area spammable.

Open the Trash setup in the Build Editor to change skills, gear and stats.

Simulate it on the Trial dummy to see its DPS, where the damage comes from and what each buff is worth.

Flex skills

Swap these in when the fight or your group calls for it.

Bloodthirst
The other Rapid Strikes morph: a little less damage but a lot of self-healing. About 2% less damage.
Quick Cloak
Major Evasion against area attacks, and a burst of speed. Takes Soul Burst's slot.
Resolving Vigor
Self-heal for fights with constant damage. Takes Soul Burst's slot.
Living Trellis
A heal you can spam under pressure. Takes Soul Burst's slot.

Passives

The passives that shape this build. They come with the skill lines, so there's nothing to slot.

Advanced Species
Critical Damage for each Animal Companions skill slotted.
Savage Beast
Ultimate when you cast an Animal Companions skill in combat.
Glacial Presence
Higher chance to apply Chilled, which this build lives on.
Twin Blade and Blunt
Two daggers on the front bar: Critical Chance from each.
Heavy Weapons
The back-bar greatsword adds Weapon and Spell Damage.
Slayer
3% more Weapon and Spell Damage with a Fighters Guild skill slotted.
Dexterity
2% more Critical Damage from 1 Medium pieces.
Concentration
Offensive Penetration from 6 Light pieces.

Gear

The standard setup, about 167k on the simulator and 183k in a real parse. Whorl of the Depths puts a frost damage over time effect on the boss with your Light Attacks, which bursts when it ends, Aerie's Cry, the Warden class set from the Infinite Archive, sends an eagle after anything you Light Attack, Slimecraw is a one-piece helm for Critical Chance, and the mythic Shattered Paths Signet adds 1% damage against monsters with status effects for every point of Ultimate you hold. Charged daggers give more status effects. Merciless Charge on the back-bar greatsword turns Stampede into a damage buff.

Buffs and debuffs with this gear

Gold entries come from your gear; the rest come from your skills and passives.

You get

Enemies get

Slots

Slot	Set	Type	Trait	Enchant
Head	Slimecraw Medium (monster)	Medium (monster)	Divines	Stamina
Shoulders	Whorl of the Depths Light	Light	Divines	Stamina
Chest	Whorl of the Depths Light	Light	Divines	Stamina
Waist	Whorl of the Depths Light	Light	Divines	Stamina
Legs	Whorl of the Depths Light	Light	Divines	Stamina
Feet	Whorl of the Depths Light	Light	Divines	Stamina
Hands	Aerie's Cry Light	Light	Divines	Stamina
Neck	Aerie's Cry Jewellery	Jewellery	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Ring 1	Aerie's Cry Jewellery	Jewellery	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Ring 2	Shattered Paths Signet Jewellery	Jewellery	Bloodthirsty	Increase Physical Harm
Front: main hand	Aerie's Cry Dagger	Dagger	Charged	Poison
Front: off hand	Aerie's Cry Dagger	Dagger	Charged	Flame
Back bar	Merciless Charge Greatsword (two-handed)	Greatsword (two-handed)	Infused	Berserker

Sturdy and Divines are interchangeable on armour. Tri-Stat glyphs on jewellery are a fine swap if you need more resources.

What the sets do

SlimecrawMonster

1 piece · Wayrest Sewers I (veteran) + Undaunted chest

Only 1 of 2 pieces, so the top bonus is off.

(1 item)Adds 657 Critical Chance.
(2 items)Adds 113 Critical Chance.
(2 items)Gain Minor Berserk at all times, increasing your damage done by 5%.

Whorl of the DepthsTrial

5 pieces · Dreadsail Reef

(2 items)Adds 129 Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.
(3 items)Gain Minor Slayer, increasing damage done to monsters by 5%.
(4 items)Adds 129 Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.
(5 items)When you deal damage with a Light Attack, you apply Whorl of the Depths to the target, dealing 1016 Frost damage over 8 seconds. When this effect ends, a 5 meter whirlpool is created under the target for 6 seconds and deals 764 Frost damage every 1 second. This effect can occur once every 18 seconds and scales off the higher of your Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.

Aerie's CryClass

5 front / 3 back · Infinite Archive (Warden class set)

Full bonus on the front bar only.

(2 items)Adds 1487 Offensive Penetration.
(3 items)Adds 129 Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.
(4 items)Adds 129 Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.
(5 items)Dealing damage with a Light or Heavy Attack applies Eagle's Mark to your target for 12 seconds, causing an eagle to attack your target for 856 Physical damage every 3 seconds, after a 3 seconds delay. Applying Eagle's Mark grants you Aerie's Call for 12 seconds, increasing your damage done by 10% against enemies with Eagle's Mark. This effect can occur every 3 seconds and you can have one Eagle's Mark active at a time.

Shattered Paths SignetMythic

1 piece · Antiquities

(1 item)Increase your damage done to monsters with status effects by 1% for every 1 Ultimate you have, up to 133%. The cap is halved if Feral Guardian is active. While you have 133 or more Ultimate, your Light and Heavy Attacks apply a random status effect, up to once every 2 seconds. While equipped, applies Minor Timidity to you, consuming 1 Ultimate every 1.5 seconds in combat.

Merciless ChargeArena

2 pieces · back bar · Maelstrom Arena (veteran)

(2 items)Activating Critical Charge stirs up a barbarous lust for battle within you for 18 seconds, increasing your damage done with direct damage attacks by 1%, up to a maximum of 12%. This effect scales off the higher of your Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.

Alternative sets

Mora Scribe's Thesis
Body swap for Whorl of the Depths, from Lucent Citadel.
Slivers of the Null Arca
Swap for Aerie's Cry if you don't have it yet.
Berserking Warrior
Another Aerie's Cry fallback, from Hel Ra Citadel.
Tide-Born Wildstalker
Crafted fallback for either set.
Order's Wrath
Crafted Critical Chance set.

Champion Points

Slottable stars only. Spend passive points in each tree along the path to these stars.

Warfare

Deadly Aim
More damage with single-target attacks. Swap it for Biting Aura on trash.
Master-at-Arms
More direct damage.
Wrathful Strikes
Weapon and Spell Damage on every damaging skill.
Fighting Finesse
Critical Damage until your group's buffs take you to the 125% cap.

Fitness

Boundless Vitality
Max Health, so one-shot mechanics don't kill you.
Fortified
Armor, for the hits you can't block.
Celerity
10% Movement Speed, which Banner Bearer's Cavalier's Charge turns into Weapon and Spell Damage.
Rejuvenation
Recovery for all three resources.

Craft

Steed's Blessing
Run between pulls faster.
Gifted Rider
Faster mount.

Good swaps

Biting Aura
More damage with area attacks. Swap it in for Deadly Aim on trash.
Thaumaturge
More damage over time, for builds whose damage is mostly DoTs.
Untamed Aggression
Weapon and Spell Damage, in place of Fighting Finesse once you sit at the 125% Critical Damage cap.
Backstabber
Critical Damage when you hit from the flank. Strong when the tank turns the boss away.
Exploiter
More damage against Off Balance targets, if your group keeps Off Balance up.
Bloody Renewal
Heals you when you kill an enemy. Good on trash with a fragile build.

Race

Dark Elf
Max Magicka and Stamina, and more damage with flame. Damage simulations put it first.
4-playerKhajiit
Critical Damage and Healing. Better in dungeons, where you rarely hit the Critical Damage cap.

Mundus

The Thief
More Critical Chance. Divines on the armour makes it bigger.
PenetrationThe Lover
Penetration, if your group doesn't bring Crusher, Alkosh or Tremorscale.

Attributes

64 Stamina

Every skill you cast scales from Max Stamina and Weapon and Spell Damage. Food and Boundless Vitality give you enough Health for normal content; move points into Health only if you keep dying to mechanics while you learn a fight.

Food

Hearty Garlic Corn Chowder
Max Stamina with Stamina and Magicka Recovery. Swap to Braised Rabbit with Spring Vegetables if you need more Health.
more HealthBraised Rabbit with Spring Vegetables
Max Health and Max Stamina with Stamina Recovery, for content that hits hard.

Potions

Essence of Health
Tri-stat: restores Health, Magicka and Stamina. Bull Netch and Lotus Blossom already give you Major Brutality and Savagery.
UltimateHeroism potion
Minor Heroism for more Ultimate. Swap Banner Bearer's affix to Berserk or Courage when you drink these.

Gameplay

1Never cast Wild Guardian during the fight. Hold the Ultimate and cast it at about 1% boss Health.
2Keep these up, most important first: Bull Netch, Stampede, Lotus Blossom, Winter's Revenge, Deep Fissure, Soul Burst, Traveling Knife every 10 seconds, Barbed Trap, Arctic Blast.
3Fill every other global with Rapid Strikes, weaving a Light Attack before each skill.

FAQ

What's the difference between the Boss and Trash setups?

What gear do I need for the Warden damage dealer?

Slimecraw, Whorl of the Depths, Aerie's Cry, Shattered Paths Signet, Merciless Charge. The Alternative sets list easier sets to start with.

Why don't I cast Wild Guardian?

Wild Guardian on both bars keeps the bear out, and Shattered Paths Signet rewards holding Ultimate. Cast the bear's active only as the boss dies.