ESO Dragonknight Tank Class Skills and Passives
Ardent Flame
Draconic Power
Earthern Heart
ESO Dragonknight Tank Overview
Dragonknights (aka DKs) are the most commonly used Tanks in the Elder Scrolls Online.
DK’s are typically the easiest Tank class, and they are the absolute best class for beginner Tanks. One of the main reasons for this is due to the self-sustain available to them via their class passives Battle Roar and Helping Hands, which allows DKs to generate Stamina resources while maintaining block.
Early on in the levelling process DKs have access to Magicka based crowd control with Choking Talons and Unrelenting Grip, both which are superior to every other Tank classes crowd control abilities. Any skill that is Magicka costing is a huge benefit to the Tank to help with sustain especially CC abilities like Chains.
DKs have some excellent healing skills; one burst emergency heal that scales with Max Health called Green Dragon Blood and one heal over time called Cinder Storm. They also have a group shield called Igneous Shield which scales with Max Health, this also restores Stamina while blocking via the Help Hands Passive and gives the caster Major Mending which boosts the healing they can do.
The DK has access to 3 unique group damage buffs called Stagger and Engulfing Flames. Stagger places a debuff on enemies via the Stone Giant skill which causes the target to take increased damage. Engulfing Flames can make an enemy take up to 10% more Flame Damage from your group. DK’s also have a Stamina group buff called Minor Brutality which is often applied by casting Igneous Shield. Stagger is more common in the later stages of the end game due to its difficulty to maintain and sustain but is a requirement by most groups in harder content and trials.
DK’s can also offer groups Major Brutality and Major Sorcery with Igneous Weapons, which is a great skill for all groups since players in lower tier groups are unlikely to be consistently using strong potions, and in higher tier groups it gives them the option to run alternative potions such as Ultimate gaining potions to boost damage even further. The DK also has another unique buff with Engulfing Flames which increases the amount of fire damage an enemy takes. This buff is better maintained by a DK Magicka Damage Dealer, but of you are the only DK in a Magicka Group you would likely need to use it.
A few things to remember is that if you are trying to optimise a group, the DK Tank should only be considered if the person playing the DK Tank is maintaining Stagger with Stone Giant if no other DK is doing it, maintaining Engulfing Flames if they are the only DK in a Magicka group, providing Minor Brutality in a Stamina group or if the person using the DK is doing so because they need help managing their sustain. If none of these things are applicable then you should consider a more beneficial class for optimising your group.
Overall the DK is a very strong class to play as a Tank. If you are new to Tanking then a DK would be the best option by far, purely for the sustain benefits. They are top tier for 4-person content due to their CC abilities and they have a lot to offer in group content.
Strengths
- Great sustain – able to gain Stamina while blocking.
- Good beginner class.
- Good self healing.
- Excellent Magicka based CC (crowd control) class skills.
- Decent range of group buffs and utility.
- Strong Tank class due to extra Resistances and Mitigation.
Weaknesses
- Stone Giant drops block on initial cast and is hard to sustain and manage.
- Sustaining can be difficult when using Stone Giant.
- Magicka abilities are all really high cost.
- Not very useful to a group if Stone Giant or Engulfing Flames are not used.
Group Buffs
- Stagger via Stone Giant (+2-4k DPS Per DD)
- Minor Brutality via Mountain's Blessing
- Major Sorcery & Major Brutality via Igneous Weapons
- 6 person group shield via Obsidian Shield
- 0-10% Increased Flame Damage taken by enemies via Engulfing Flames