Engaging in open-world PvP in The Elder Scrolls Online is both thrilling and challenging. Whether you're participating in small-scale skirmishes or going head-to-head in solo encounters, having the right gear can make all the difference. Monster sets, in particular, are powerful tools that can elevate your performance by providing unique bonuses tailored to various playstyles.
In this video, YouTuber KlausMan66 lists his top five monster sets for open-world PvP, their strengths, and how to integrate them into your builds. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer, these sets are worth considering for PvP dominance.
A quick tip: having enough TESO gold can help you pick up tradable consumables and gear quickly, speeding up your progression and loadout experimentation.
5: Engine Guardian
Engine Guardian is a classic monster set that has stood the test of time, albeit with some limitations in the current meta. Here's what it offers:
• 1-Piece Bonus: 129 Health Recovery — unfortunately, this bonus has lost much of its value in PvP.
• 2-Piece Bonus: When you use an ability that costs resources, you have a 25% chance to summon a Dwemer automaton that restores 550 Stamina or Magicka, or 1,955 Health every 0.5 seconds for 6 seconds. This effect can occur once every 10 seconds.
Despite its outdated health recovery bonus, Engine Guardian shines in resource management. The automaton provides a significant boost to sustain, allowing players to stay in the fight longer. Additionally, its quirky utility makes it a fun set to use—opponents often waste ultimates or abilities targeting the automaton instead of you.
However, the randomness of resource restoration (Stamina, Magicka, or Health) can be frustrating at times.
4: Zoal the Ever-Wakeful
Zoal the Ever-Wakeful is an excellent choice for solo PvP and small group encounters. Its unique mechanics make it especially useful when facing multiple opponents:
• 1-Piece Bonus: 1,096 Max Stamina — not the strongest bonus, but decent.
• 2-Piece Bonus: When you break free from crowd control effects, you release a wave of energy that fears enemies within 8 meters for 3 seconds. You also gain 34 Weapon and Spell Damage per enemy feared (up to 6 enemies) for 7 seconds.
The fear mechanic is incredibly strong in PvP. Most players rely on stuns to set up kills, and Zoal the Ever-Wakeful punishes them by disrupting their plans.
3: Maarselok
Maarselok is a powerhouse when it comes to damage output. It's especially effective in builds that focus on applying status effects:
• 1-Piece Bonus: 1,096 Max Stamina — similar to Zoal the Ever-Wakeful.
• 2-Piece Bonus: When you deal damage with a melee heavy attack, you spew a cone of corruption that deals 1,492 damage over 4 seconds. This damage increases by 10% for each negative effect on the target, up to a maximum of 300%. This effect can occur once every 10 seconds.
Maarselok thrives in builds designed to apply multiple debuffs to enemies. The increased damage scaling based on negative effects can quickly overwhelm opponents, making this set an excellent choice for players running DoT-heavy setups.
Pairing Maarselok with sets like Rallying Cry (on the back bar), Draugrkin's Grip (on the front bar), or Malacath's Band of Brutality can amplify its effectiveness even further. While it may not align with the current meta, its ability to amplify damage-over-time (DoT) effects makes it a strong choice for players who capitalize on enemy vulnerabilities.
2: Roksa the Warped
Roksa is a monster set focused on sustain, making it invaluable for solo players or builds that prioritize resource management:
• 1-Piece Bonus: 70 Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery.
• 2-Piece Bonus: Each second you are in combat, you gain a stack of Darklight (up to 30 stacks). Each stack increases your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery by 8. When out of combat, stacks decay rapidly.
At maximum stacks, Roksa provides an impressive 310 Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery before buffs. This level of sustain allows players to maintain pressure on opponents while ensuring they don't run out of resources mid-fight.
Sustain is crucial in PvP—without it, you'll quickly find yourself unable to heal, break free from crowd control effects, or use abilities effectively. Roksa excels at keeping players in the fight longer, particularly in extended engagements where resource management is key.
1: Balorgh
Balorgh is widely regarded as one of the best monster sets for PvP due to its sheer power and versatility:
• 1-Piece Bonus: 129 Weapon and Spell Damage — a straightforward and impactful bonus.
• 2-Piece Bonus: When you use an ultimate ability, you gain Weapon and Spell Damage equal to the amount of ultimate used and Physical and Spell Penetration equal to 23 times the ultimate cost for 12 seconds.
Balorgh's synergy with ultimates makes it a top-tier choice for virtually any PvP build. Whether you're running bombing builds, ganking builds, dueling builds, or 1vX builds, Balorgh amplifies your damage output significantly during critical moments. For example, using a high-cost ultimate (e.g., 500 ultimate) grants around 500 Weapon and Spell Damage and approximately 11k penetration for 12 seconds—an enormous boost that can turn the tide of battle.
This set is perfect for players who want to maximize burst damage while maintaining flexibility across different playstyles. Balorgh fits seamlessly into almost any build and remains the go-to monster set for PvP dominance.
Top 5 Monster Sets for Dueling in ESO
1. Kjalnar's Nightmare
Kjalnar's Nightmare stands out as one of the most potent dueling monster sets available. It provides a free stun and delivers devastating damage if the enemy is stunned before the effect triggers.
2. Zaan
Zans is another exceptional monster set for dueling due to its ability to apply relentless pressure on opponents.
3. Jerall Mountains Warchief
While the helmet of Jerall Mountains Warchief may not be as commonly used as other sets, its power cannot be underestimated. This set is often associated with players who either enjoy zerging or are overly cautious about losing in PvP.
4. Maarselok
Maarselok has long been a staple for duelists due to its ability to apply substantial damage-over-time (DoT) pressure. However, over the years, it has been overshadowed by newer sets with more advanced features tailored specifically for dueling.
5. Balorgh
Balorgh is a versatile set that shines in dueling scenarios by adding extra raw damage to your attacks.
Honorable Mentions
1. Nibenay Bay Battlereeve
Nibenay Bay Battlereeve is an intriguing option that offers a mix of utility and survivability. The one-piece bonus provides 424 critical resistance, which is invaluable in PvP for mitigating critical hits. Additionally, this set grants a 15,000 damage shield whenever you are pulled, knocked back, or targeted by a teleport ability. This shield is unaffected by Battle Spirit, making it an excellent choice for players who frequently engage in large-scale battles or group play. Moreover, when not triggered by pulls or knockbacks, the set provides a 5% damage mitigation against players—an added bonus that enhances its overall utility.
However, it's important to note that Nibenay Bay Battlereeve has its limitations. While it protects you from being bombed in certain situations, it won't save you from the effects of Vicious Death or Overload if your group is wiped out.
2. Bloodspawn
Bloodspawn remains a classic choice for many PvP players due to its well-rounded bonuses. The one-piece bonus grants 129 stamina recovery, which is helpful but could benefit from including magicka recovery for greater versatility. The two-piece bonus offers several advantages: when you take damage, you have a 6% chance to generate 13 ultimate and increase your physical and spell resistance by 3,731 for 5 seconds.
While Bloodspawn's bonuses are undeniably strong, the 6% proc chance feels too low for consistent use, and the 5-second cooldown could be shortened to improve its viability. Nevertheless, Bloodspawn continues to be a solid option for players who rely on ultimate generation and increased resistances.
Conclusion
Choosing the right monster set for open-world PvP depends on your build, playstyle, and objectives. Whether you prioritize sustain, utility, or raw damage, there's a set tailored to your needs.
As The Elder Scrolls Online continues to evolve, these sets may receive updates or adjustments. However, their core mechanics ensure they remain valuable tools for PvP enthusiasts across all skill levels.
If you're new to PvP or looking to refine your build further, give these sets a try. Experimentation is key—find what works best for your style of play!
Lastly, if you found this video helpful, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to KlausMan66's channel to show your support.
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