Beginner's Dragonknight Tank Build for Elder Scrolls Online

Welcome to the Beginner’s Dragonknight Tank Build/Guide for Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). This guide will teach you the basics of building a Dragonknight Tank and provide you with the necessary tools to start your journey as a formidable tank in ESO.

This build is designed for players new to the tanking role and focuses on survivability, crowd control, and easy gear acquisition.

Guide Contents

Race Selection:

While any race can be a Dragonknight Tank, the following races have passives that make them more suitable for the role:

Nord: Max Stamina, Max Health, and Damage Reduction
Argonian: Max Health, Healing Received, and Potion effectiveness
Imperial: Max Health, Max Stamina, and Cost Reduction

Attribute Points:

Allocate all 64 points into Health to maximize survivability. This can be changed later as you adapt and get better gear and stats.

Mundus Stone:

The Lord (Max Health) or The Atronach (Magicka Recovery)

Food and Potions:

Food: Tri-stat food (Max Health, Magicka, and Stamina)
Potions: Tri-stat potions or basic health/magicka/stamina potions

Skills:

The skill setup for a beginner Dragonknight Tank is as follows:

Bar 1 – One Hand and Shield:

Puncture (Taunt) – Morph to Pierce Armor
Heroic Slash – Morph to Low Slash
Absorb Magic – Morph to Defensive Posture
Igneous Shield – Morph to Obsidian Shield
Hardened Armor – Morph to Spiked Armor Ultimate: Magma Shell – Morph to Magma Armor

Bar 2 – One Hand and Shield:

Inner Rage (Taunt) – Morph to Inner Beast
Chains – Morph to Unrelenting Grip or Empowering Chains
Choking Talons – Morph to Dark Talons
Green Dragon Blood – Morph to Dragon Blood
Efficient Purge – Morph to Cleanse Ultimate: Aggressive Warhorn – Morph to Sturdy Warhorn

Champion Points

As a beginner, focus on the following CP allocation to improve your tanking abilities. Keep in mind that these allocations may change as you progress and experiment with different playstyles. Note that the CP cap is 3600, but this guide assumes you have 1800 CP available.

Craft (Green):

Slot 1: Steed’s Blessing – 50 points
Slot 2: Breakfall – 50 points
Slot 3: Wanderer – 50 points

Warfare (Red):

Slot 1: Boundless Vitality – 50 points (Slot Unlock at 1200 CP)
Slot 2: Fortified – 50 points
Slot 3: Rejuvenation – 50 points
Slot 4: Tireless Guardian – 50 points (Slot Unlock at 1800 CP)

Spend remaining points in:

Preparation (up to 50 points)
Ironclad (up to 50 points)
Elemental Aegis (up to 50 points)
Hardy (up to 50 points)
Quick Recovery (up to 50 points)
Bastion (up to 50 points, if you use damage shields)

Fitness (Blue):

Slot 1: Tumbling – 50 points
Slot 2: Mystic Tenacity – 50 points
Slot 3: Hero’s Vigor – 50 points
Slot 4: Defiance – 50 points (Slot Unlock at 1200 CP)
Slot 5: Hasty – 50 points (Slot Unlock at 1800 CP)

Spend remaining points in:

Sprinter (up to 50 points)
Tireless Discipline (up to 50 points)
Relentless Focus (up to 50 points)
Fortification (up to 50 points)
Piercing Gaze (up to 50 points)

Remember that the Champion Points system is flexible, and you can redistribute your points as you gain more experience and adapt to different situations. The allocation provided here is a starting point for a beginner Dragonknight Tank, and you should feel free to experiment with other allocations as you progress through the game.

Passives

One Hand and Shield: All passives
Heavy Armor: All passives
Light Armor: Recovery and Evocation passives
Medium Armor: Wind Walker and Athletics passives
Dragonknight: All passives in Ardent Flame, Draconic Power, and Earthen Heart
Undaunted: Undaunted Command and Undaunted Mettle
Racial: All passives for your chosen race

Gear:

As a beginner, your priority should be to acquire easy-to-obtain gear that provides good bonuses. Here’s a beginner-friendly gear setup:

5x Plague Doctor (Deshaan overland or Guild Traders)
5x Ebon Armory (Crypt of Hearts dungeon)
2x Monster Set: Lord Warden (Imperial City Prison) or Engine Guardian (Darkshade Caverns II)

Traits and Enchantments:

Armor: Infused (big pieces) and Sturdy (small pieces) with Health enchantments
Weapons: Defending on both one-handed weapons with Absorb Stamina and Crusher enchantments
Shields: Sturdy or Reinforced with Health enchantments
Jewelry: Healthy or Triune with Block Cost Reduction or Magicka Recovery enchantments

This beginner’s Dragonknight Tank build is designed to help you learn the basics of tanking in ESO. As you progress, you’ll be able to experiment with different sets, skills, and playstyles to find the perfect tank build for your playstyle.

Remember to communicate with your group, adapt to different situations, and always strive to improve your gameplay. Tanking is a rewarding and essential role in ESO, and with practice and patience, you’ll become a reliable and effective Dragonknight Tank.

As you gain experience, explore more advanced builds and strategies to further optimize your tanking capabilities. Happy tanking!