Arcanist Healer
The shield-and-buff healer. Ink-Scribe's Verve gives the group Major Force from your healing, and one disc covers Minor Courage, Fortitude, Intellect and Endurance.
Update 52 (PTS) version
This page is the Update 52 version of this healer 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 Arcanist healer turns healing into group damage. With 
Ink-Scribe's Verve, healing or overhealing a large amount gives you and your group Major Force for 10 seconds, so your group no longer depends on Horn for it. One Arcanist per group is enough.
Zenas' Empowering Disc gives everyone who steps in it Minor Courage, Minor Fortitude, Minor Intellect and Minor Endurance. 
Chakram of Destiny shields up to four allies and builds Crux, and 
Evolving Runemend is a strong single-target heal that builds more. Every Arcanist cast also gives the group Minor Evasion through 
Circumvented Fate.
Cruxweaver Armor gives you Major Resolve, and with the 
Erudite's Rigor mastery it gives the group Major Vitality and puts Minor Cowardice on whatever hits you. 
Glyphic of the Tides is the back-bar Ultimate: heal it and it heals the group, and at full Health it gives them Major Protection.
Strengths
- Group Major Force without a Horn, from healing you were doing anyway.
- Four group buffs from one disc, plus group Minor Evasion and Major Vitality.
- Strong shields with Chakram of Destiny and
Intricate Runeforms.
Weaknesses
- Crux management: Runemend and Chakram build it, and your heals are stronger with it up.
- Allies have to stand in Zenas' Empowering Disc to get its buffs.
- Major Force needs a lot of healing, so it can drop in quiet phases.
Buffs and debuffs you bring in trials
Your group gets
Class Mastery
Pure-class characters with all three class lines at rank 50 can slot two Class Mastery passives (added in Update 50).
Heal a large amount and you and your group get Major Force for 10 seconds. One per group is enough.
Cruxweaver Armor gives the group Major Vitality and attackers Minor Cowardice, and you gain Ultimate per Crux.
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 Arcanist changes in Update 52.
Traits. Decisive rises to 68% on two-handed weapons (from 55%), so the Decisive front staff gives noticeably more Ultimate. Infused armour goes up to 40% (from 25%), which makes the Infused chest and legs a bigger Magicka glyph. The gear table stays as written until PTS numbers settle.
Skill Setups
Most healer builds have a Trial and a Dungeon setup. Trials stack 12 players, so ground heals reach everyone; in a 4-player dungeon the Dungeon setup leans on heals that follow people and puts 
Banner Bearer on both bars.
Written for 12-player trials, where the group stacks: ground heals like 
Illustrious Healing reach everyone at once. Only one healer in the raid needs 
Overflowing Altar, so agree with the other healer who brings it. On trial trash, pre-cast your heals over time and shields before the pull.
What this setup brings
Your group gets
Front bar
Restoration Staff · Grand Rejuvenation
12
345
RBack bar
Lightning staff · Powerful Assault
12
3
45R| Slot | Skill |
|---|---|
| Front 1 | Radiating Regeneration Restoration Staff Cast time: InstantDuration: 10 secondsCost: 2,700 Magicka Sticky heal over time on the three lowest allies. Your main heal in dungeons, and what you cast between everything else. |
| Front 2 | Evolving Runemend Curative Runeforms Cast time: InstantCost: 4,590 Magicka Strong heal on one ally that generates Crux. Cheaper for each Crux you hold. |
| Front 3 | Combat Prayer Restoration Staff Cast time: InstantDuration: 10 secondsCost: 4,590 Magicka Burst heal in front of you, plus Minor Berserk and Minor Resolve for everyone it hits. The panic button. |
| Front 4 | Chakram of Destiny Curative Runeforms Cast time: InstantDuration: 6 secondsCost: 4,320 Magicka Shields you or up to four allies and generates Crux. Recasting on a shielded ally gives a stronger shield. |
| Front 5 | Illustrious Healing Restoration Staff Cast time: InstantRange: 28 metresDuration: 15 secondsCost: 3,510 Magicka Ground heal for a stacked group. Recast it every 6 seconds to keep the Master's Restoration Staff's resource restore going. |
| Front R | Reviving Barrier Support Cast time: InstantDuration: 30 secondsCost: 250 Ultimate Group shield and heal over time for 30 seconds. Cast it before big damage, not after. |
| Back 1 | Overflowing Altar Undaunted Cast time: InstantDuration: 30 secondsCost: 4,050 Health Trials, one healer only: Minor Lifesteal on the boss, and a Blood Feast synergy that heals for 65% of Max Health. |
| Back 2 | Zenas' Empowering Disc Curative Runeforms Cast time: InstantDuration: 20 secondsCost: 3,780 Magicka Group Minor Courage, Fortitude, Intellect and Endurance for anyone in it, for 10 seconds after they leave. Drop it where the group stacks. |
| Back 3 | Elemental Blockade Destruction Staff Cast time: InstantDuration: 15 secondsCost: 2,970 Magicka Area Concussion and Off Balance on the boss for the damage dealers. Cast it every third or fourth rotation. |
| Back 4 | Echoing Vigor Assault Cast time: InstantDuration: 16 secondsCost: 2,984 Stamina Big group heal over time for 16 seconds, and the Assault skill that triggers Powerful Assault. Recast it as it ends. |
| Back 5 | Cruxweaver Armor Soldier of Apocrypha Cast time: InstantDuration: 30 secondsCost: 2,700 Magicka Major Resolve for you. With Erudite's Rigor it gives the group Major Vitality and puts Minor Cowardice on your attackers. |
| Back R | Glyphic of the Tides Curative Runeforms Cast time: InstantRange: 28 metresDuration: 15 secondsCost: 200 Ultimate Heal the glyphic and it heals the group and grants Weapon and Spell Damage; at full Health it gives Major Protection. Cheaper than Horn. |
Open the Trial setup in the Build Editor to change skills, gear and stats.
In a 4-player group nobody stands still, so sticky heals that follow people (Radiating Regeneration, Echoing Vigor) do the work. Banner Bearer takes Illustrious Healing's slot and Cruxweaver Armor's: the banner only stays up while it's on both bars. 
Trample takes Overflowing Altar's slot: three status effects on the pack, and Major Heroism so your Ultimate comes back faster.
What this setup brings
Your group gets
Front bar
Restoration Staff · Spell Power Cure
12345RBack bar
Lightning staff · Powerful Assault
12345R| Slot | Skill |
|---|---|
| Front 1 | Radiating Regeneration Restoration Staff Cast time: InstantDuration: 10 secondsCost: 2,700 Magicka Sticky heal over time on the three lowest allies. Your main heal in dungeons, and what you cast between everything else. |
| Front 2 | Evolving Runemend Curative Runeforms Cast time: InstantCost: 4,590 Magicka Strong heal on one ally that generates Crux. Cheaper for each Crux you hold. |
| Front 3 | Combat Prayer Restoration Staff Cast time: InstantDuration: 10 secondsCost: 4,590 Magicka Burst heal in front of you, plus Minor Berserk and Minor Resolve for everyone it hits. The panic button. |
| Front 4 | Chakram of Destiny Curative Runeforms Cast time: InstantDuration: 6 secondsCost: 4,320 Magicka Shields you or up to four allies and generates Crux. Recasting on a shielded ally gives a stronger shield. |
| Front 5 | Banner Bearer Scribed as Shocking Banner Cast time: InstantCost: 459 Magicka and 459 Stamina every two seconds Dungeons: scribed group buff banner. It only stays up while it's on both bars, so it takes slot 5 on each. |
| Front R | Reviving Barrier Support Cast time: InstantDuration: 30 secondsCost: 250 Ultimate Group shield and heal over time for 30 seconds. Cast it before big damage, not after. |
| Back 1 | Trample Scribed as Magical Trample Cast time: 1.5 secondsDuration: 2 secondsCost: 3,046 Magicka Dungeons: scribed AoE that applies three status effects and gives you Major Heroism, so Reviving Barrier comes back faster. |
| Back 2 | Zenas' Empowering Disc Curative Runeforms Cast time: InstantDuration: 20 secondsCost: 3,780 Magicka Group Minor Courage, Fortitude, Intellect and Endurance for anyone in it, for 10 seconds after they leave. Drop it where the group stacks. |
| Back 3 | Elemental Blockade Destruction Staff Cast time: InstantDuration: 15 secondsCost: 2,970 Magicka Area Concussion and Off Balance on the boss for the damage dealers. Cast it every third or fourth rotation. |
| Back 4 | Echoing Vigor Assault Cast time: InstantDuration: 16 secondsCost: 2,984 Stamina Big group heal over time for 16 seconds, and the Assault skill that triggers Powerful Assault. Recast it as it ends. |
| Back 5 | Banner Bearer Scribed as Shocking Banner Cast time: InstantCost: 459 Magicka and 459 Stamina every two seconds Dungeons: scribed group buff banner. It only stays up while it's on both bars, so it takes slot 5 on each. |
| Back R | Glyphic of the Tides Curative Runeforms Cast time: InstantRange: 28 metresDuration: 15 secondsCost: 200 Ultimate Heal the glyphic and it heals the group and grants Weapon and Spell Damage; at full Health it gives Major Protection. Cheaper than Horn. |
Scribing
Scribed skill
Shocking Banner
Banner Bearer · Shock Damage / Druid's Resurgence / Heroism
- Cast time
- Instant
- Radius
- 8 metres
- Cost
- 459 Magicka and 459 Stamina every two seconds
Shock DamageFocus script: Increases damage done with direct damage by 6%.
Druid's ResurgenceSignature script: Increases Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery of other group members by 139.
HeroismAffix script: Grants Minor Heroism, generating 1 Ultimate every 1.5 seconds.
Shocking Banner: 6% more direct damage and recovery for the group, plus Minor Heroism. This build already gives Minor Courage, so the affix takes Heroism.
Scribed skill
Magical Trample
Trample · Magic Damage / Assassin's Misery / Heroism
- Cast time
- 1.5 seconds
- Target
- Area
- Radius
- 5 metres
- Duration
- 2 seconds
- Cost
- 3,046 Magicka
Magic DamageFocus script: Deals 6,233 Magic Damage to all enemies.
Assassin's MiserySignature script: Afflicts enemies with the Concussion, Sundered, and Hemorrhaging status effects.
HeroismAffix script: Grants you Major Heroism for 10 seconds, generating 3 Ultimate every 1.5 seconds.
Magical Trample: Concussion, Sundered and Hemorrhaging on the pack for Exploiter and status-effect sets, and Major Heroism for your own Ultimate.
Open the Dungeon setup in the Build Editor to change skills, gear and stats.
Flex skills
Swap these in when the fight or your group calls for it.
Chakram morph that spends Crux to turn the shield into a heal over time.
Runemend morph that gives Minor Heroism to allies under 50% Health.
Channelled beam heal for big group damage; spending Crux also restores resources.
Back-bar Ultimate in place of Glyphic when nobody else brings Horn.
Passives
The passives that shape this build. They come with the skill lines, so there's nothing to slot.
4% more healing for each Crux you hold. Keep Crux up.
10% stronger, 10% cheaper shields.
Every Arcanist cast gives the group Minor Evasion: 10% less area damage.
Magicka and Stamina every time you generate Crux.
5% more healing from Restoration Staff skills while it's equipped.
A fully charged Heavy Attack with the staff gives you Major Mending for 4 seconds.
32% more Magicka Recovery and 16% cheaper Magicka skills from 8 Light pieces. Why every healer here wears Light.
Gear
The first trial healer. 
Pillager's Profit turns every Ultimate you cast into Ultimate for up to 11 others. 
Powerful Assault on the jewellery and back staff gives the group Weapon and Spell Damage each time you cast Echoing Vigor. 
Ozezan the Inferno gives Minor Vitality with every heal, and the Master's Restoration Staff (
Grand Rejuvenation) restores Magicka and Stamina to everyone your Illustrious Healing touches. All 7 pieces are Light for the most Magicka Recovery; the back staff carries Weakening so the boss hits a little softer.
Pick a set for each block. The build's recommended gear is selected to start with.
Buffs and debuffs with this gear
Gold entries come from your gear; the rest come from your skills and passives.
Your group gets
Slots
| Slot | Set | Trait |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Ozezan the Inferno Light (monster) | Divines / Infused |
| Shoulders | Ozezan the Inferno Light (monster) | Divines |
| Chest | Pillager's Profit Light | Divines / Infused |
| Hands | Pillager's Profit Light | Divines |
| Waist | Pillager's Profit Light | Divines |
| Legs | Pillager's Profit Light | Divines / Infused |
| Feet | Pillager's Profit Light | Divines |
| Neck | Powerful Assault Jewellery | Infused |
| Ring 1 | Powerful Assault Jewellery | Infused |
| Ring 2 | Powerful Assault Jewellery | Infused |
| Front: main hand | Grand Rejuvenation Restoration staff (two-handed) | Decisive |
| Back bar | Powerful Assault Lightning staff (two-handed) | Infused |
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
2 pieces · Scrivener's Hall (veteran) + Undaunted chest
- (1 item)Adds 129 Magicka Recovery.
- (2 items)Overhealing yourself or an ally grants them 4272 Armor for 1.1 seconds. Healing yourself or an ally grants them Minor Vitality for 1.1 seconds, increasing their healing received and damage shield strength by 6%.
5 pieces · Dreadsail Reef
- (2 items)Adds 4% Healing Done.
- (3 items)Gain Minor Aegis, reducing damage taken from monsters by 5%.
- (4 items)Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka.
- (5 items)Casting an Ultimate ability while in combat grants 2% of Ultimate spent as Ultimate to up to 11 other group members within 12 meters every 2 seconds over 10 seconds. Group members can only be affected by this set once every 45 seconds.
3 front / 5 back · Imperial City Tel Var merchants
Full bonus on the back bar only.
- (2 items)Adds 1206 Max Health.
- (3 items)Adds 1096 Max Stamina.
- (4 items)Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage.
- (5 items)When you cast an Assault ability in combat, you and up to 5 group members within 12m gain 307 Weapon and Spell Damage for 15 seconds.
2 pieces · front bar · Dragonstar Arena (veteran)
- (2 items)The initial heal of Grand Healing invigorates you and group members affected for 6 seconds, restoring 224 Magicka and Stamina every 2 seconds.
The defensive dungeon healer. 
Spell Power Cure on four pieces and the resto staff gives Major Courage to anyone you overheal, and sticky heals keep it on the whole group. Powerful Assault moves to a Medium chest, two jewellery pieces and the back staff, and 
Death Dealer's Fete on the last ring adds Max Health, Magicka and Stamina so a 4-player group's healer survives what a trial healer never sees.
Pick a set for each block. The build's recommended gear is selected to start with.
Buffs and debuffs with this gear
Gold entries come from your gear; the rest come from your skills and passives.
Your group gets
Slots
| Slot | Set | Trait |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Ozezan the Inferno Light (monster) | Divines / Infused |
| Shoulders | Ozezan the Inferno Light (monster) | Divines |
| Chest | Powerful Assault Medium | Divines / Infused |
| Hands | Spell Power Cure Light | Divines |
| Waist | Spell Power Cure Light | Divines |
| Legs | Spell Power Cure Light | Divines / Infused |
| Feet | Spell Power Cure Light | Divines |
| Neck | Powerful Assault Jewellery | Infused |
| Ring 1 | Powerful Assault Jewellery | Infused |
| Ring 2 | Death Dealer's Fete Jewellery | Infused |
| Front: main hand | Spell Power Cure Restoration staff (two-handed) | Decisive |
| Back bar | Powerful Assault Lightning staff (two-handed) | Infused |
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
2 pieces · Scrivener's Hall (veteran) + Undaunted chest
- (1 item)Adds 129 Magicka Recovery.
- (2 items)Overhealing yourself or an ally grants them 4272 Armor for 1.1 seconds. Healing yourself or an ally grants them Minor Vitality for 1.1 seconds, increasing their healing received and damage shield strength by 6%.
3 front / 5 back · Imperial City Tel Var merchants
Full bonus on the back bar only.
- (2 items)Adds 1206 Max Health.
- (3 items)Adds 1096 Max Stamina.
- (4 items)Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage.
- (5 items)When you cast an Assault ability in combat, you and up to 5 group members within 12m gain 307 Weapon and Spell Damage for 15 seconds.
6 front / 4 back · White-Gold Tower
Full bonus on the front bar only.
- (2 items)Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka.
- (3 items)Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka.
- (4 items)Adds 129 Weapon Damage and Spell Damage.
- (5 items)When you overheal yourself or an ally, you give the target Major Courage for 5 seconds which increases their Weapon Damage and Spell Damage by 430.
1 piece · Antiquities: Blackwood
- (1 item)Gain a stack of Escalating Fete every 2 seconds in combat, up to 30. Each stack adds 88 Maximum Health, Magicka and Stamina. You lose a stack every 4 seconds out of combat.
Alternative sets
Body swap: 40% longer buffs and shields, which helps Chakram and the disc.
Trials with a second healer on Pillager's: Major Slayer for five allies from your Heavy Attacks.
Monster swap: crit heals shield the target and give them Minor Force.
Mythic for organised trials: your Ultimate goes to the group instead, and you gain Minor Heroism.
Champion Points
Slottable stars only. Spend passive points in each tree along the path to these stars.
- Soothing Tide
Stronger area heals. Almost every heal you cast is one.
- Swift Renewal
Stronger heals over time: Radiating Regeneration, Echoing Vigor and the class HoTs.
- Enlivening Overflow
Overheals give allies Health, Magicka and Stamina Recovery. Healers overheal all the time.
- From the Brink
A shield on anyone you heal below 25% Health. It saves people from the next hit.
- Bastion
Stronger shields from Reviving Barrier, Ozezan and class shields.
- Rejuvenation
Recovery for all three resources.
- Shield Master
Cheaper damage shields.
- Boundless Vitality
Max Health, so one-shot mechanics don't kill you.
- Steed's Blessing
Run between pulls faster.
- Gifted Rider
Faster mount.
Good swaps
More Weapon and Spell Damage for heals. Swap it for From the Brink once your group stops dropping low.
Minor Heroism on allies you heal below 50%. Swap it in when nobody else gives the group Heroism.
Armor, in place of Bastion when you don't slot Reviving Barrier or another big shield.
Movement speed for fights with a lot of running. Swaps for Shield Master.
Race
Max Magicka, Weapon and Spell Damage, and casting restores your lowest resource.
- Ultimate
NordUltimate when you take damage, and a sturdier healer in progression.
- sustain
BretonMore Magicka Recovery and cheaper Magicka skills, if you run dry.
- also good
Dark ElfMax Magicka and Stamina, if you already have one of the others.
Mundus
8% more healing done. Divines on the armour makes it bigger.
- sustain
The AtronachMagicka Recovery, if you still run out.
- crits
The ThiefMore Critical Chance, so more heals crit.
- movement
The SteedSpeed and Health Recovery, for fights with a lot of running.
Attributes
Every heal and shield you cast scales from Max Magicka. Food and Boundless Vitality give you enough Health.
Food
Max Health and Max Magicka. Your heals scale from Magicka, and the Health keeps you alive.
- sustain
Ghastly Eye BowlMax Health and Magicka Recovery, if you run out of Magicka.
- Stamina
Bewitched Sugar SkullsMax Health, Magicka and Stamina, if you block or dodge a lot.
- also good
Clockwork Citrus FiletMax Health and Magicka with Health and Magicka Recovery.
Potions
Restores Magicka and gives Major Brutality and Major Savagery: stronger heals and more crits.
- Ultimate
Heroism potionMinor Heroism for more Ultimate, so Reviving Barrier comes back sooner.
- defence
Armor potionMajor Resolve, for fights where you keep getting caught.
Gameplay
- 1Build Crux with Evolving Runemend and Chakram of Destiny, and keep it: your heals are 4% stronger per Crux.
- 2Drop Zenas' Empowering Disc where the group stacks every 20 seconds, and keep Cruxweaver Armor up for group Major Vitality.
- 3Keep Radiating Regeneration and Echoing Vigor rolling, and recast Illustrious Healing every 6 seconds for the Master's staff.
- 4Shield whoever is about to take a mechanic with Chakram of Destiny.
- 5Drop Overflowing Altar if you're the trial's Altar healer, and Elemental Blockade every third or fourth rotation.
- 6Cast Reviving Barrier before big damage, and Glyphic of the Tides where the group will stand for the next 15 seconds.
FAQ
What does the Arcanist healer bring to the group?
In trials it gives the group 12 buffs, including Major Force and Major Vitality. The full list is under Overview.
What's the difference between the Trial and Dungeon setups?
Trials have 12 players who stack, so the Trial setup uses ground heals and Overflowing Altar. In 4-player dungeons people move more, so the Dungeon setup leans on sticky heals, slots Banner Bearer on both bars, and swaps Pillager's Profit for Spell Power Cure.
Do I still need Aggressive Horn with an Arcanist healer?
Not for Major Force: Ink-Scribe's Verve gives it to the group from your healing. That's why the back-bar Ultimate is Glyphic of the Tides. Slot Horn only if the group needs its Max Magicka and Stamina.