These skills appear across multiple class setups. They cover the essential jobs of a dungeon tank: taunting priority targets, stacking and controlling adds, reducing enemy defences, and supporting the group. You will swap some of them between boss fights and add pulls rather than use every skill at once.

• Elemental Susceptibility – Your primary single-target source of Major Breach. While active, it repeatedly applies Burning, Chilled, and Concussed, helping maintain Minor Maim and Minor Vulnerability. Chilled can also provide Minor Brittle when applied under the right Frost Staff conditions, while Frost Blockade applies Minor Breach to Chilled enemies. It now has a Magicka cost, so let its duration run before refreshing it.
• Elemental Blockade – Place this under the boss or your add stack to keep your back-bar Infused Crusher enchant working. With a Frost Staff, it snares enemies, applies Minor Breach to Chilled targets, and provides damage shields against projectiles. Refresh it as the wall expires; casting it repeatedly adds unnecessary Magicka pressure.
• Power Slam – Used during add pulls to activate the Void Bash weapon set. Damage a central enemy with Power Slam and Void Bash pulls nearby enemies towards you, making it easier to immobilise and debuff the pack. The pull does not replace taunting dangerous enemies individually.
• Inner Rage – A Magicka-based ranged taunt for picking up priority enemies before they reach the group. It also gives up to three allies a Radiate synergy that deals Flame damage to the target and nearby enemies, adding damage during large pulls.
• Razor Caltrops – Covers a large ground area and applies Major Breach to enemies damaged by it. Place it where you intend to stack the pull so enemies arrive already debuffed and slowed. It is most valuable against packs; Elemental Susceptibility provides the longer-lasting single-target application for bosses.
• Pulsar – An add-pull skill that applies Minor Mangle to non-boss enemies, reducing their Max Health. Frost Pulsar also grants Minor Protection and, especially with a Charged Frost Staff, is a strong way to apply Chilled across a pack. Those Chilled targets can then receive Minor Breach from Frost Blockade. Pulsar increases the chance of applying a status effect; it does not guarantee Chilled on every enemy.
• Revealing Flare – Slotted mainly for Major Protection, reducing the damage you take without requiring another skill cast. As a Support ability, it also increases your Magicka Recovery on that bar through Magicka Aid. You do not cast it in dungeon fights. This is a personal defensive choice, so it can be replaced when an encounter needs a different skill.

Ultimates

• Aggressive Horn – Increases the group’s Max Magicka and Stamina and grants Major Force for a short damage window. It remains useful when the group has no reliable Major Force source. An Arcanist using Ink-Scribe’s Verve can cover Major Force through healing and overhealing, but check its actual uptime before removing Horn from a setup.
• Replenishing Barrier – A defensive Ultimate that shields you and nearby allies during dangerous mechanics or recovery moments. This morph restores Magicka as its wards expire. It can also be slotted without intending to cast it: the Support passive Magicka Aid increases Magicka Recovery while a Support ability is on that bar.
• Temporal Guard – Primarily a passive defensive slot. While it is slotted, you gain Minor Protection on that bar. You normally preserve your Ultimate for a stronger group or defensive effect rather than cast Temporal Guard.

Runic Sunder – Class taunt but not used for this reason. It reduces the target’s Armor, applies Minor Maim, and generates Crux while giving you Armor in return. While slotted, each active Crux also reduces the damage you take. Using this as your regular boss taunt helps rebuild Crux after you spend it on a shield or heal. Its Armor reduction may overlap with other penetration sources, so it should be considered alongside the rest of the group’s debuffs.

Impervious Runeward – Your immediate survival skill when you expect a heavy hit or need time to recover. It creates a large, brief shield followed by a smaller shield if the first survives. Spending Crux adds a Max Health-scaling self-heal. Because it is expensive and consumes Crux, use it for genuine pressure rather than recasting it whenever it becomes available.

Runeguard of Still Waters – Gives the group Minor Resolve and gives you Minor Protection. If you take damage while below half Health, it can provide an automatic self-heal. Immobilises nearby enemies shortly after you cast it. Use it once the pack has been pulled together to help keep enemies in your group’s AoE damage. Its low-Health heal adds a safety net during messy pulls; control-immune enemies still need to be positioned and taunted normally.

Tidal Chakram – Shields you or allies in front of you, favouring your reticle target or allies who need protection. Spending Crux makes the shields heal while they remain active, giving the tank a way to support a healer or a three-DPS group. Those heals and overheals can contribute towards Ink-Scribe’s Verve, the Arcanist Class Mastery that grants group Major Force after enough healing has been done. Spending Crux also reduces the mitigation provided by slotted Runic Sunder until you generate it again.

Cruxweaver Armor – Your long-duration Major Resolve buff. While it is active, taking damage applies Minor Breach to the attacker and can generate Crux once every five seconds. With Erudite’s Rigor selected, it also applies Minor Cowardice to the attacker, grants your group Major Vitality, and generates Ultimate based on your active Crux when the Class Mastery triggers. Keep it active for the defensive buffs and Crux generation, but remember that its enemy debuffs depend on that enemy hitting you.

Zenas’ Empowering Disc – Place this where your group can pass through it. Allies who enter gain Minor Courage for damage alongside Minor Fortitude, Minor Intellect, and Minor Endurance for recovery, and the buffs persist briefly after they leave. It is a useful all-round dungeon support skill.

Resonating Glyphic – An offensive support Ultimate. Cast it in combat near the group; allies can damage the glyphic to strengthen its Weapon and Spell Damage buff and healing over time. Its healing can contribute towards Ink-Scribe’s Verve Class Mastery. Use it when the group can stay in range and power it up, rather than assuming every cast will reach its full benefit.

Gibbering Shelter – Primarily slotted for Wellspring of the Abyss, which increases your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery for each Soldier of Apocrypha ability on the active bar. This makes it valuable even when you plan to cast Resonating Glyphic instead. If the group needs emergency protection, Gibbering Shelter remains a powerful defensive Ultimate: it absorbs a large portion of incoming damage and grants shields to nearby allies as your own shield takes hits.

Key passive and Class Mastery interactions: Casting Arcanist skills maintains Circumvented Fate’s group Minor Evasion. Beneficial Soldier of Apocrypha effects help maintain Aegis of the Unseen’s personal Armor bonus, while slotted Soldier abilities add recovery through Wellspring of the Abyss. Generating Crux restores resources through Hideous Clarity; consuming it can generate Ultimate through Implacable Outcome. With a Curative Runeforms ability slotted, Intricate Runeforms also improves the strength and cost of your damage shields. Erudite’s Rigor upgrades Fatewoven Armor, so it also benefits the Cruxweaver Armor morph used here. When its defensive effect triggers, it can apply Minor Cowardice to an attacker, grant Major Vitality to the group and generate Ultimate based on your current Crux. Ink-Scribe’s Verve turns healing and overhealing into another group benefit: once you reach its healing threshold in combat, it generates Crux and grants Major Force. Tidal Chakram and your other healing effects help build towards that threshold, but Major Force is not granted simply by having a heal active.

Heart of Flame – Your main active sustain skill. Over four seconds, it restores a portion of your missing Magicka and Stamina every two seconds and provides a self-heal that scales with Max Health. Cast it after you have spent resources so the missing-resource return has more value, particularly when block and skill costs are putting pressure on your Stamina. Its final Flame damage can also apply Burning, feeding the Combustion passive for a further resource return.

Blood of the Elder Dragon – Heals you and nearby allies, with stronger healing as targets lose Health. Healed targets also receive Minor Courage and Major Fortitude, so it contributes group damage and recovery as well as emergency healing. This morph scales with offensive stats rather than Max Health; its main appeal here is combining a group heal and buffs in one skill. Refresh it to maintain the benefits when needed, but avoid repeatedly casting an expensive heal just because the boss has dealt minor damage. Casting it also activates Elder Dragon, maintaining the DK’s group Minor Brutality.

Protect the Brood – Gives you and nearby allies Minor Protection, reduces projectile damage for a short period, and gives you Major Expedition to reposition quickly. Its strongest active use is in fights with frequent projectiles, while the speed boost helps you get ahead of the group or adjust a boss’s position. This is an on-cast group buff, so recast it when you need Minor Protection uptime or its situational effects. As a Draconic Power skill, it also refreshes Minor Brutality through Elder Dragon.

Earthshield Mantle – Your Major Resolve skill, paired with a brief Max Health-scaling damage shield for immediate protection. Keep Major Resolve active unless another reliable source covers it. Casting an Earthen Heart skill in combat also triggers Blessing at the Peak for additional Ultimate generation, making this an efficient defensive buff to maintain. Its extra damage to monsters has little bearing on why the tank slots it.

Hearth and Home – Creates an area that heals allies standing inside it and gives healed group members Minor Heroism and Minor Fortitude while they remain there. It also slows enemies, while you gain Major Protection when standing inside. During add pulls, place it where you expect to hold the pack; during boss fights, place it where the group can realistically benefit without compromising positioning. The healing and Ultimate generation make it useful throughout the dungeon, but its benefits depend on people staying within the area.

Choking Talons – Immobilises nearby enemies after they have been pulled into a stack, helping damage dealers land their AoE attacks. It also applies Minor Maim, reducing damage from the affected enemies, and offers allies the Ignite synergy for additional AoE damage. Cast it after Void Bash has gathered the pull; using it too early can leave enemies rooted outside the stack. As a Draconic Power cast, it also refreshes the group’s Minor Brutality.

Standard of Might – Your planned group Ultimate for important damage windows. Group members standing inside gain Weapon and Spell Damage and take less damage, while you gain additional personal damage and mitigation. Cast it when the boss and group are likely to remain in its area. The cast also activates The Storm Voice for a Health, Magicka, and Stamina return; with Lead from the Front Class Mastery selected, it grants nearby group members Major Berserk and Major Protection. If you are wearing War Machine, the same cast triggers its Major Slayer buff, making Ultimate timing particularly valuable. It remains on the add bar, although you will often save it for the next boss.

Key passive and Class Mastery interactions: Applying Burning triggers Combustion for Magicka and Stamina return when an Ardent Flame skill is slotted, while Heart of Flame provides an additional resource restore between Ultimate casts. Casting an Ultimate activates The Storm Voice for resource return and Lead from the Front for group Major Berserk and Major Protection. This makes a well-timed Standard of Might particularly valuable, especially when it also activates War Machine. Resolute Defense improves your block mitigation for each second you remain bracing and gives blocked hits a chance to restore Stamina. It helps during sustained pressure, but its mitigation takes time to build and does not replace active resource management.

Necrotic Potency – Consumes nearby corpses to generate Ultimate and give you a Max Health-scaling heal over time. It also reduces your damage taken while slotted on the active bar. In add pulls, use it after enemies die to turn the pack into Ultimate for the next fight. On bosses, Summoner’s Armor and the eventual corpse from Spirit Guardian give you opportunities to use it without waiting for an add. Consuming a corpse can also trigger Corpse Consumption for extra Ultimate.

Hungry Scythe – Your reliable self-heal when an enemy is within reach. It heals on hit, gains additional healing from other enemies struck, and then provides a heal over time. Both parts of the healing scale with Max Health, making it particularly comfortable during large pulls. Face the enemies you want to hit before casting it; unlike a conventional burst heal, it cannot help when there is no target in front of you. With Veil’s Forfeit selected, directly healing yourself while below its Health threshold can also make you a valid target for a corpse-consuming ability.

Agony Totem – Place it at your feet where the boss or dangerous adds will remain. It grants nearby allies Minor Protection and applies Major Cowardice to enemies in its area, reducing their damage output. After a short delay it repeatedly fears susceptible enemies, and its synergy gives an ally another way to damage the pack. It is useful for holding an area under pressure, but its fear will not control a boss and the group must be close enough to benefit from its protection.

Summoner’s Armor – Maintains both Major Resolve and Minor Resolve, giving the Necromancer a substantial amount of Armor from one skill. While active, it also reduces the cost of Spirit Guardian and other Necromancer summons. More importantly for this setup, casting it in combat periodically allows you to use a corpse-consuming ability on yourself. This helps feed Necrotic Potency during boss fights where actual enemy corpses may be scarce. Keeping a Bone Tyrant ability active also enables Disdain Harm’s damage-over-time reduction.

Spirit Guardian – Summons a spirit that heals you or a low-Health ally and takes a portion of the damage you would otherwise receive. While it is active, Undead Confederate improves your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery. When the spirit expires in combat, it leaves a corpse that can feed Necrotic Potency. Keep it active for the healing, mitigation, and recovery.

Glacial Colossus – Your group damage Ultimate. Its hits apply Major Vulnerability, increasing the damage enemies take, and its final hit stuns enemies that can be controlled. With Veil’s Forfeit selected, the Major Vulnerability you apply lasts longer, making each cast more valuable. Check whether your monster set, gear, or another player already supplies Major Vulnerability before committing Ultimate solely for that debuff.

Key passive and Class Mastery interactions: Necrotic Potency consumes corpses for healing and Ultimate, making it especially effective as add pulls die; Summoner’s Armor and Spirit Guardian help make corpses available during longer fights. Veil’s Forfeit gives you another opportunity to use a corpse-consuming ability after directly healing a target below 66% Health, and it extends the Major Vulnerability you apply with Glacial Colossus. Pound of Flesh adds a chance to heal and restore a portion of your missing Stamina when you take damage, with a higher chance as your Health falls. It provides useful support under pressure, though its chance-based return is not something to rely on as your main sustain tool.

Siphoning Attacks – Your main resource tool and the skill that activates Share the Spoils in this setup. Casting it converts Health into Magicka and Stamina and triggers Transfer; with Share the Spoils selected, that trigger also gives group members Magicka, Stamina, and Ultimate while increasing the Ultimate you receive. While Siphoning Attacks is slotted, damage you deal can also heal you and return both resources once per second. The Siphoning passive Magicka Flood increases your Max Magicka and Stamina while a Siphoning skill is slotted. Cast Siphoning Attacks as you spend resources, but account for its Health cost when you are under heavy pressure.

Dark Cloak – A Max Health-scaling self-heal over time that becomes stronger while you are bracing (blocking). It also gives you Minor Protection while slotted, even when you switch bars. Casting it activates Shadow Barrier for Major Resolve and can trigger Cutthroat’s Focus if you cast while bracing as an attack reaches you. That makes it a useful defensive skill with an offensive group purpose, although the mastery debuff only appears when you actually avoid an attack.

Mirage – Grants Major Evasion against area damage and Minor Resolve for additional Armor. Taking direct damage while it is active also reduces the cost of a later Roll Dodge, which can help with mechanics that require movement. Casting Mirage refreshes Shadow Barrier’s Major Resolve. If you time the cast while bracing against an incoming attack, it can also activate the brief dodge from Cutthroat’s Focus.

Refreshing Path – Gives allies standing in the path Major Expedition, Minor Endurance, and Minor Intellect, helping the group move between pulls and recover Stamina and Magicka. It also heals allies in its area. Place it along the route your group will use or through a boss position where allies can benefit without moving unsafely. As a Shadow skill, casting it refreshes Shadow Barrier and can be timed to trigger Cutthroat’s Focus.

Soul Harvest – Primarily slotted for its passive Ultimate gain when you kill an enemy, helping you prepare a group Ultimate for the next fight. The killing blow matters: in a strong dungeon group, damage dealers will often finish enemies before you do, so do not treat this as guaranteed Ultimate from every add death.

Key passive and Class Mastery interactions: Casting Siphoning Attacks activates Transfer for Ultimate generation. Share the Spoils upgrades that passive to provide Magicka, Stamina and Ultimate to the group while increasing the Ultimate you receive. Cast it regularly enough to benefit from Transfer, while using its resource return when you need it. Cutthroat’s Focus activates when you cast a Nightblade skill while bracing, briefly allowing you to dodge an attack; dodging then increases the attacker’s damage taken, doing a dodge roll also activates it. Dark Cloak and your other Nightblade casts give you opportunities to trigger it, but you need to time a cast with an incoming attack rather than expect the damage debuff from ordinary skill upkeep.

Regenerative Ward – Gives you a damage shield and a small self-heal while granting nearby allies Minor Intellect and Minor Endurance for Magicka and Stamina Recovery. The shield protects you and your pets, rather than shielding the whole group. Use it before predictable damage or when you need breathing room to restore resources with Dark Deal. Keeping a Daedric Summoning ability active also enables Daedric Protection’s damage reduction, while Rebate can return some Magicka when the ward ends. As a paid Sorcerer skill, casting it interacts with both selected Class Masteries.

Dark Deal – Converts Magicka into an immediate Health and Stamina return, followed by further Stamina restoration over time. This is your main answer to the Stamina pressure caused by blocking, dodging, and breaking free. Its cast takes time and drops your block, so use it after a heavy attack or mechanic when you have a safe opening; Regenerative Ward can help protect that opening. Casting a paid Dark Magic skill activates Blood Magic, and Conservation of Energy adds a Magicka and Stamina return when that passive triggers. Beginning Dark Deal’s cast can also trigger Calculated Defence, although the group buff depends on the resulting shield surviving.

Boundless Storm – Your long-duration Major Resolve buff, with nearby Shock damage and a brief Major Expedition burst when cast. Keep it active for your Armor and use the speed boost to reach the next pack or reposition a boss. Its repeated damage can help apply Concussion, but do not rely on it to cover enemies outside its small radius. Casting it gives Calculated Defence another opportunity to grant the group buff, and its cost can trigger Conservation of Energy’s upgraded Blood Magic effect.

Bound Aegis – Primarily a passive defensive slot: it provides Minor Protection and Minor Resolve even when you switch bars. When activated, it substantially increases your block mitigation for a short period, making it a tool for predictable heavy damage rather than a buff to recast constantly. Because it is a Sorcerer skill with a cost, activating it can also engage both Class Masteries. It is replaced on the add back bar, so do not count on its slotted protection in the displayed add setup.

Summon Charged Atronach – A group damage Ultimate that lands with a stun and repeatedly damages enemies around it, guaranteeing Concussion on enemies hit by its lightning storm. This helps apply Minor Vulnerability. An ally must activate its Charged Lightning synergy to give nearby group members Major Berserk. Check for Major Berserk from another player before choosing your Ultimate timing solely for that buff.

Key passive and Class Mastery interactions: Conservation of Energy extends Blood Magic so abilities with a cost can trigger its healing and Magicka and Stamina return, supporting your sustain as you maintain the bar’s usual skills. Calculated Defense gives you a brief shield when you begin a Sorcerer ability or an ability with a cast time. If that shield remains intact, it grants nearby group members increased Weapon and Spell Damage. Regenerative Ward, Dark Deal and Boundless Storm all give you ways to engage the mastery during normal play, but the group buff depends on the shield surviving. Dark Deal provides an additional direct Stamina return when you have a safe window to cast it.

Extended Ritual – Places a long-lasting heal beneath the group and immediately removes up to five harmful effects from you. Allies can use its Purify synergy to cleanse themselves. Standing in the ritual activates Sacred Ground, improving your healing and block mitigation. It is particularly useful in fights with frequent harmful effects, though you do not need to recast it just to maintain Sacred Ground: Steadfast Candescence can also activate that passive while you brace.

Purifying Light – Your key Bright Harbinger skill on bosses. Casting it triggers Illuminate, granting the group Armor and, through the Class Mastery, 300 Weapon and Spell Damage to allies and twice that amount to you. It also triggers Prism for Ultimate generation while in combat. The mark deals damage after six seconds and leaves a healing effect attached to the target, giving allies near the boss some additional support. Keep the Illuminate buff active, but avoid recasting Purifying Light needlessly every time its mark expires.

Restoring Focus – Your main defensive buff and a dependable source of Stamina. It grants Major Resolve, restores Stamina every second, and heals you while the rune is active. Standing inside the rune greatly strengthens the heal and activates Sacred Ground. The Stamina return continues while blocking because it is a direct resource restore rather than Stamina Recovery, making this skill especially useful during sustained boss pressure. You can move out of the rune when mechanics demand it without losing Major Resolve or the Stamina return.

Blazing Spear – Drop this onto the stack after pulling enemies together. Its initial hit immobilises enemies, helping keep them in your group’s area damage. An ally near the spear can use the Blessed Shards synergy to restore either Magicka or Stamina, whichever of their maximum resources is higher; this morph does not let you use your own synergy. Casting Blazing Spear also triggers Spear Wall, granting you Minor Protection and Minor Berserk for six seconds. This gives you Minor Protection while working on the back bar, while Temporal Guard supplies it passively on the front bar. Place the spear where it will control enemies or where an ally can easily use the synergy.

Repentance – A strong recovery tool once enemies begin to die. Consuming nearby corpses heals you and your allies while restoring Stamina to you for each corpse, helping you move into the next pull with resources available. While slotted, it also grants you Minor Fortitude, Minor Endurance, and Minor Intellect on either bar. Those recovery buffs are personal; Repentance does not apply them to the group. Its corpse-based return is valuable after a pull starts, but cannot sustain you at the beginning of a fight with no corpses.

Living Dark – Wraps you in a defensive effect that heals you when you take direct damage and snares attackers. It is particularly useful when several enemies are hitting you during an add pull. Because it is a Dawn’s Wrath skill, casting it also refreshes Illuminate and Bright Harbinger for the group and can trigger Prism for Ultimate. On the add bar, it takes over the group-buff role filled by Purifying Light on bosses; remember to recast it when the buff needs refreshing, even if you no longer need its healing.

Key passive and Class Mastery interactions: On bosses, Purifying Light triggers Illuminate and Bright Harbinger, providing group Armor and Weapon and Spell Damage; on add pulls, Living Dark fills that same Dawn’s Wrath role. Both can also trigger Prism for Ultimate while in combat. Steadfast Candescence strengthens your stationary blocking and allows bracing to activate and refresh Sacred Ground, even when you have moved out of Extended Ritual or Restoring Focus. Blazing Spear triggers Spear Wall for brief Minor Protection on the back bar, while Temporal Guard supplies Minor Protection when you are on the front bar.

Corrupting Pollen – Places a field that applies Minor Cowardice and Major Defile to enemies inside it, reducing their damage output and healing received. After six seconds, it heals allies in the area, and an ally can use its Harvest synergy for additional healing. The delayed heal can trigger Nature’s Gift when it overheals, which Bountiful Harvest upgrades to provide group resources and Major Heroism. Place it where the boss and group will remain; simply casting the field does not activate Bountiful Harvest.

Polar Wind – Your main burst heal, scaling with Max Health and followed by a heal over time. It also heals a nearby ally, making it particularly useful when you and a damage dealer take damage together. Its personal healing gives you a dependable way to survive sudden pressure, while the ally heal adds support without requiring a separate group-healing skill. Polar Wind is a Winter’s Embrace skill, so it does not trigger Bountiful Harvest.

Expansive Frost Cloak – Grants Major Resolve to you and grouped allies across a wide area. This is an easy defensive benefit to maintain in dungeons, particularly when group members spread out. Keep it active for your own resistances and the group’s.

Bull Netch – Restores Stamina over its duration and periodically removes a negative effect from you. The resource return is especially valuable while blocking, when ordinary Stamina Recovery is suppressed. Keeping an Animal Companions skill slotted on the back bar also activates Flourish for increased Magicka and Stamina Recovery while that bar is active. Refresh Bull Netch before it expires rather than waiting until your Stamina is already low.

Feral Guardian – Slotted on the front bar primarily to activate Flourish, increasing your Magicka and Stamina Recovery while you are on that bar. It is not a practical main Ultimate in this setup: because the bear is absent from the back bar, switching bars dismisses it. Your back-bar Replenishing Barrier remains the usable group defensive Ultimate.

Gripping Shards – Immobilises nearby enemies, helping hold a pack together after Void Bash pulls it in. Its continuing Frost Damage has an increased chance to apply Chilled, supporting Tundra’s Maw and its Major Brittle debuff. Use it once enemies are stacked around you; mobile or crowd-control-immune priority targets still need to be handled separately.

Key passive and Class Mastery interactions: Tundra’s Maw makes your Chilled applications also apply a brief Major Brittle. The Ice Staff supports this on bosses, while Gripping Shards gives add pulls another chance to apply Chilled. Bountiful Harvest upgrades Nature’s Gift when a Green Balance skill overheals: Corrupting Pollen’s delayed heal can then provide group Major Heroism and resources. Placing Pollen alone does not trigger that effect, so its bloom needs to reach an ally and overheal. Bull Netch supplies direct Stamina during boss fights, and having an Animal Companions skill slotted activates Flourish on the active bar.