ESO One Bar Tank Build Information
Within the halls of the Scholarium, where ancient knowledge and arcane mastery intertwine, a new breed of Tank rises—the Scholarium Sentinel. This one-bar tank build combines the mystical power of Scribing skills with the unyielding resilience of a Sentinel Knight, creating a highly effective and accessible way to tank in The Elder Scrolls Online.
Designed for players who prefer a simpler playstyle, struggle with managing two bars, or seek a more accessible tanking option, the Scholarium Sentinel offers a seamless, intuitive experience without sacrificing strength, survivability, or utility.
By leveraging the power of customizable Scribed Skills, this build streamlines tanking while maintaining strong crowd control, sustain, and defensive capabilities. Whether you’re tackling dungeons, trials, or arenas, this build ensures that any player—regardless of skill level or accessibility needs—can perform their tanking role with ease and efficiency.
This build is not recommended for harder endgame content
ESO One Bar Tank Build Core Essentials
Core Essential Details
- Race: The Nord provides the best utility for this build with a 2600 increase in resistances, helping us reach the resistance cap. Additionally, Nords offer 1500 Max Stamina, 1000 Max Health, and generate 5 Ultimate every 10 seconds when taking damage.
- Mundus Stone: The Atronach is used, providing a 535 increase in Magicka Recovery when paired with full Divines gear.
- Food: This food choice gives a significant 4935 boost to Max Health and, more critically, an increase of 451 Magicka Recovery.
- Potions: We use Tri-Stat potions that grant Major Fortitude, Intellect, and Endurance, boosting all recoveries by 30%. These potions also restore a substantial amount of Health, Magicka, and Stamina.
ESO One Bar Tank Build Gear
| Piece | Set | Weight | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head | Magma Incarnate / Baron Thirsk | Medium/Light | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Shoulder | Crimson Oath’s Rive | Heavy | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Chest | Turning Tide | Heavy | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Hands | Turning Tide | Heavy | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Waist | Turning Tide | Heavy | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Legs | Turning Tide | Heavy | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Feet | Turning Tide | Heavy | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Necklace | Crimson Oath’s Rive | Jewellery | Infused | Magicka Recovery |
| Ring | Crimson Oath’s Rive | Jewellery | Infused | Magicka Recovery |
| Ring | Oakensoul Ring | Jewellery | Infused | Magicka Recovery |
| Main Hand | Crimson Oath’s Rive | Any 1H | Infused | Crusher |
| Off Hand | Crimson Oath’s Rive | Shield | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Piece | Set | Weight | Trait | Enchantment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head | Magma Incarnate / Baron Thirsk | Medium/Light | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Shoulder | Saxhleel Champion / Lucent Echoes | Heavy | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Chest | Pearlescent Ward | Heavy | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Hands | Pearlescent Ward | Heavy | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Waist | Pearlescent Ward | Heavy | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Legs | Pearlescent Ward | Heavy | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Feet | Pearlescent Ward | Heavy | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
| Necklace | Saxhleel Champion / Lucent Echoes | Jewellery | Infused | Magicka Recovery |
| Ring | Saxhleel Champion / Lucent Echoes | Jewellery | Infused | Magicka Recovery |
| Ring | Oakensoul Ring | Jewellery | Infused | Magicka Recovery |
| Main Hand | Saxhleel Champion / Lucent Echoes | Any 1H | Infused | Crusher |
| Off Hand | Saxhleel Champion / Lucent Echoes | Shield | Divines | Prismatic Defence |
*Use Barrier or another defensive Ultimate with this setup
Gear Information
Primary Sets:
- Crimson Oath’s Rive: This set is chosen for its simplicity in proccing and the extra penetration it provides, compensating for the loss of the Ice Staff Infused Crusher. It also offers substantial armor, helping you reach the resistance cap easily.
- Turning Tide: Selected for its ease of proccing—simply bash the enemy after blocking a hit. It’s one of the strongest tank sets in the game, offering significant benefits to your group.
Mythic Item:
- Oakensoul Ring: Essential for this build, as it provides numerous benefits necessary due to the limited bar space from using only one bar.
Monster Set:
- Due to the use of a mythic item, we can’t use a full monster set. Instead, use one piece of Magma Incarnate or Baron Thirsk for additional Magicka and Stamina recovery. Feel free to switch to any one piece you prefer.
Armor Configuration:
- 6-1 Setup: 6 pieces of Heavy and 1 piece of Medium or Light armor. This setup is required when using two heavy 5-piece gear sets. All gear pieces should be Divines to buff the Atronach Mundus Stone, crucial for sustaining high Magicka levels.
Enchantments:
- Full set of Prismatic Defense Enchants: These enchants maximize your stats across the board.
Jewellery:
- Infused Magicka Recovery: This enchantment helps you achieve up to 4k Magicka Recovery when fully buffed. Alternatively, use Harmony Magicka Recovery if your group provides synergies, though Infused is more reliable in uncertain situations. Avoid Tri-Cost Reduction enchants as they are ineffective here.
Weapons:
- One-Handed Weapon (Infused Crusher): This enchant ensures you don’t completely miss out on the enemy debuff. While it’s not as strong as on an Ice Staff, it remains valuable.
Alternative Gear Options:
- Aura Sets: These sets can simplify the build by removing the need for gear procs.
- Pearlescent Ward: Can replace one of the primary sets for easier play.
- Saxhleel Champion: Pair with a defensive ultimate like Barrier to boost group survival.
- Lucent Echoes: Use for a more offensive setup.
ESO One Bar Tank Build Skills
While we could create a build that is entirely made from scribed skills, that would mean losing out on some class specific bonuses and group buffs. Therefore we’ve included one class skill, the fundamental problem with this is these class skills must either directly include a self buff or gain one passively upon using the class skill otherwise you are unable to proc the Crimson Oath’s Rive set.
Arcanist Skills
For the Arcanist, Zena’s Empowering Disc is used to proc Crimson Oath’s Rive while providing a valuable group buff. This skill grants your group Minor Courage, effectively replacing the need for the Claw of Yolnahkriin 5-piece gear set by delivering the same effect with just one skill. Additionally, it provides Minor Fortitude, Minor Intellect, and Minor Endurance. Although these buffs are redundant for you as the tank, since you already have them, this skill is essential for the gear set proc and highly beneficial for your group.
Dragonknight Skills
For the Dragonknight, we’ve chosen Igneous Shield despite having a group shield with Ulfsild’s Contingency. This choice is essential for several reasons: we need a self buffing skill to proc our gear. Igneous Shield not only provides a personal buff, granting Major Mending for enhanced healing, but also offers an additional self and group shield. Moreover, it triggers the Mountain’s Blessing passive, granting the Minor Brutality group buff and additional Ultimate generation. Additionally, the Helping Hand passive is activated, providing 1120 Stamina each time Igneous Shield is cast.
Alternative Options:
Necromancer Skills
Necromancers pose a significant challenge when trying to find a single useful skill that provides a self-buff, as most Necro tanking skills lack this feature. Since we don’t need Major Resolve, one of the few buffs built into the class skills, and the Necro has no unique group buffs, we need to choose a skill that offers any beneficial effect. This leads us to Deaden Pain. While not as effective as the other morph, it is one of the few semi-useful self-buffing skills available. However, it can be difficult to proc this on bosses, as it requires consuming corpses to activate the buff, which in turn procs your Crimson Oath’s Rive gear set. Alternatively, you could use Resolving Vigor on bosses.
Nightblade Skills
For the Nightblade, Mirage is an excellent option as it provides Major Evasion and Minor Resolve, and reduces the cost of dodge rolls. Additionally, it grants access to the Hemorrhage passive, which applies the group buff Minor Savagery, offering further group benefits. This skill also helps in proccing your Crimson Oath’s Rive set.
Sorcerer Skills
As a Sorcerer, the only truly worthwhile option is Dark Deal. This skill activates the Exploitation passive, providing the Minor Prophecy group buff. Additionally, it is an excellent sustain tool, using Magicka to heal you and grant a burst of Stamina along with Stamina over time. Crucially, it applies two self-buffs essential for proccing the Crimson Oath’s Rive set. However, be mindful that this skill has a channel time, which will make you drop block. Avoid casting it when you’re about to be hit by a heavy attack or mechanic.
Templar Skills
For the Templar, it is impossible to proc the unique class buff of Minor Sorcery while also using a skill that provides a self-buff, as none of the Dawn’s Wrath skills include any major or minor self-buff. Radiant Aura is chosen because it gives both a group buff and a self-buff, which is essential for proccing Crimson Oath’s Rive. Although this skill may be somewhat redundant for the tank due to overlapping buffs, it remains beneficial for the group and necessary for the gear proc.
Warden Skills
A Warden has a few good options for a skill to use here. Firstly, Enchanted Growth provides an additional heal that procs the Warden’s unique group buff, Minor Toughness. This skill also grants Minor Intellect and Minor Endurance, which helps proc Crimson Oath’s Rive. Although you already benefit from these buffs, you can still provide them to the group. Alternatively, Bull Netch is a solid self-sustain tool, as it grants the Flourish passive, increasing your Magicka and Stamina recovery by 12%.
ESO One Bar Tank Build Scribed Skills
The Scholarium Sentinel build heavily relies on the Scribing system, enabling us to create the exact spells needed for tanking. This allows us to pack more effects and benefits into fewer skills, making it possible to be an effective tank without a second ability bar. Feel free to customize these spells if there are effects you prefer over our suggestions.
Focus Script: Pull
Deals Magic Damage to an enemy, pulls them to you, and taunts them if they are not already taunted.
Signature Script: Druid’s Resurgence
Restores Magicka and Stamina.
Affix Script: Breach
Afflicts the enemy with Major Breach, reducing Physical and Spells Resistance.
Focus Script: Immobilize
Immobilizes enemies.
Signature Script: Hunter’s Snare
Reduces the Movement Speed of enemies.
Affix Script: Breach
Afflicts enemies with Minor Breach, reducing Physical and Spell Resistance.
Focus Script: Damage Shield
Grants a damage shield to you and your allies that absorbs damage, scaling off your Max Health and capped at 55% of your Max Health.
Signature Script: Growing Impact
Creates a rune of power on the ground which applies the Affix script in an area.
Affix Script: Vulnerability
Afflicts Minor Vulnerability, increasing damage taken.
Focus Script: Magic Damage
Deals Magic Damage to an enemy. (Turns this into a Magicka skill)
Signature Script: Sage’s Remedy
Heals you for Health on return, scaling off your Max Health.
Affix Script: Maim
Afflicts the enemy with Major Maim for, reducing damage done.
ESO One Bar Tank Build Champion Points
ESO One Bar Tank Build How to Play
Skill Rotation
- Wield Soul is your Taunt skill, Major Breach applicator, your chain to pull ranged enemies and your sustain tool (spam it for Stamina sustain). Always initiate with this.
- Soul Burst is your crowd control which immobilises enemies after you have pulled them with Wield Soul, it then snares them so they cant run away fast after the immobilise ends and inflicts Minor Breach to further debuff them.
- Ulfsild’s Contingency is your damage shield which you use to prevent taking damage but also places a rune on the ground that inflicts minor vulnerability, so use this after pulling and immobilising enemies.
- Shield Throw is a self heal which also applies Major Breach, use it for healing when needed and maintain it on bosses for the Major Maim.
- Use your class skill to proc Crimson Oath’s Rive and provide you with class buffs and benefits.
- Ensure to block and bash every 15 seconds to activate Turning Tide.
