Welcome to the first installment of a weekly segment where we dive into oneElder Scrolls Online’smanySets, and explore what sort ofBuildsyou can make. Not only will we show you how to get the most from these Sets, but we’ll explain where to get them, what requirements there are to obtain them (if any), and everything else you could possibly want to know about them. This week’s Set is a lesser used, and perhaps not so well known one namedVaren’s Legacy. This Set is named afterVaren Aquilarios, also known as The Prophet, who guides the player through the main quest line ofESO.
An Introduction to This Set
Varen’s Legacy was introduced toElder Scrolls Onlinein May 2016 with the addition of theDark Brotherhood DLC. It was one of 3 newCrafted Setsadded and requires 7Traitsto craft. This Set can be found inGold Coast’ssouthern territory at Strid River Artisans Camp, which will require the Dark Brotherhood DLC to gain access to. Players can, of course, still have another player craft it for them if they do not own said DLC.
Since it is crafted, it can be made in any craftableStyle, Light/Medium/Heavy Armor, and both Weapons and Shields. Since Jewelcrafting has not yet been added to the game, it is currently unobtainable on Jewelry. Because this set is for those players who block a lot, having a Shield with this Set is pretty much a must. So all you really need to decide is what you want it to look like…
This Set caps out at 3000 damage once you hit Champion Rank 160 and does not increase no matter the quality of the items involved in the Set. Only the 2 and 3 piece bonuses on this set will increase with quality improvement, since 4% Healing Taken does not change either. This means it is not necessary to upgrade to Legendary to get the most of Varen’s Legacy, which could save you some valuable crafting materials.
What You Need To Know About This Set
How this Set works is that when youBlockan attack you have a 10% chance to gain a buff called “Varen’s Wall” that grants you 7 seconds to use a “Direct Damage” AoE ability which will be increased by 3000 damage on EACH target it hits. There was a bug in a previous version of ESO that made it so this only increased the damage against one target, but this is no longer the case. When you use an ability that is compatible with this Set, it will “consume” the Buff and it will vanish from your bar. This is how you can tell if an ability will work with this Set or not.
With the introduction of theChampion System, and the frequent updates to it, this Set can become extremely confusing as some abilities affected by Man-at-Arms are not affected by Varen’s Legacy. A good example of this isSpear Shardsin theTemplar Skill Line. For all intents and purposes only abilities that deal Direct AoE Damage withno Damage Over Timeassociated with them will work with this Set. As mentioned above, this disqualifies Spear Shards, and other abilities likeMeteororDawnbreaker.
While I was doing my testing I did find a few oddities, such asProximity Detonationnot being affected no matter ifVaren’s Wallwas active at the time of detonation or was active at the time of casting (or both). The same goes forBlazing Shield, however,Sun ShieldandRadiant Wardare both buffed byVaren’s Wall, so it would seem that the damage must be done instantly. That is to say, you can’t have a “Direct Damage” AoE on a timer, it must deal the damage at the time the ability is cast.
Monster Helm Sets that do direct AoE damage will also be buffed byVaren’s Wall. I have testedValkyn Skoriaand it buffs the AoE damage from the meteor, but not the single target damage. I have not tested other sets, but onlyInfernal Guardian(in theory) should proc from this buff.
Another interesting thing about this set is that the damage is added with the damage of the ability itself, although not displayed on the tooltip. These means that if your tooltip says 3500 Magic Damage, for example, you will do 6500 Magic Damage, with a normal attack. However, if itCritically Strikesthen you will get 1.5-1.9x higher depending on yourCritical Multiplier. That makes this Set even more potent as it can potentially hit for an extra 4500-5800 damage!
Reducing Your Block Cost
Regardless whether you are a player focusing primarily on PvE or PvP the first thing you’re going to want to do when using Varen’s Legacy is reduce yourBlock Costsince you will need toBlocka lot in order to make full use of this Set. The cost ofBlockingis 2160Staminaevery .25 seconds currently (assuming you are being hit) and you will need to reduce that number significantly or you will not be able toBlockmore than a couple of seconds tops. Luckily there are many ways to do this.
For PvE players (tanks) you’ll want to have theSturdyTrait on just about every piece of Armor you may, and since this Set is crafted, that will be extremely easy to do. PvP players will want some Sturdy and someImpenetrableelse they will die quickly if they are caught with their Shield down.
Secondly both PvE and PvP players will want to invest heavily into theShadow Wardstar ofThe ShadowChampion Tree. There is no hard and fast rule here as to just how much you need to invest, but it is not difficult to get -20%Block Costreduction from this star.
Again, both PvE and PvP players will want to have the passive skill:Fortressin theOne-Handed and Shield Skill Line. Maxed out, it will reduce yourBlock Costby 36% when you have a Shield equipped.
Finally, and most importantly, both PvE and PvP players should putGlyph of Shieldingon your Jewelry. The reason that theseGlyphsare the most important is because they actually reduceBlock Costby a flat value AFTER it has been reduced by the above. If you play around withBlockingat all, you’ll find there is no way to make it sustainable without them. You don’t need to put them on all your Jewelry, but at least 1 or 2. It isn’t necessary to go for a “perma-block” build, but you will need to reduceBlock Costsignificantly for thisBuildto work. For more information onBlockingplease seethisvideo.
Picking a Skill That Works With This Set
Once you have reduced yourBlock Costthen you will need an ability that synergizes with Varen’s Legacy to get the foundation of aBuildput together. Skills that work really well with this Set are as follows:
Solar Barrage - you’re able to hit mobs for huge damage with this ability as it also Empowers your next attack for +20% damage. It also can be cast whileBlocking, so you never have to drop your guard. Consider adding a Set likeWar Maidenfor increased Magic Damage or any defensive Set if you simply wish to be tankier.
Radiant Ward - The initial hit when you cast this damage shield does get buffed by Varen’s Legacy, which can make it hit for substantial damage. Consider adding a Set likeWar Maidenfor increased Magic Damage or any defensive Set that increases your Max Health if you simply wish to be tankier.
Dragonknight
Dragon Leap - This ability already does massive damage and you’re able to increase that significantly with Varen’s Legacy. Depending on which morph you take,Bone Pirate’s TattersorSilks of the Sunwould be a good fit here or something tankier for more defense.
Inhale - Not only will this ability deal more damage, but it will heal you for even moreHealthsince healing is based on damage done. EitherBurning SpellweaveorWar Maidenare a good fit with this ability.
Nightblade
Soul Tether - This ability already deals massive damage, and now it will deal even more. AgainWar Maidenis a good fit with this ability.
Sap Essence - Essentially a smaller version of of Soul Tether, without the stun. AgainWar Maidenis a good fit with this ability.
Whirlwind - Already does decent damage, but you can practically double it with this Set. Consider usingBone Pirate’s TattersorStrength of the Automatonwith this ability.
Bombard - Very good damage with a root, what’s more to love? Consider usingBone Pirate’s TattersorStrength of the Automatonwith this ability.
Impulse - If you’re a Magicka Warden or Magicka Sorcerer, this is pretty much your go to ability for this Build. Consider usingSilks of the SunorSpider Cultist Cowl.
Notes For PvE Players
PvE players are really only going to be Tanks if they are using this Set so they will most likely need to choose a defensive Set to pair with Varen’s Legacy depending on the sort of content they usually run. There are a ton of great Tanking Sets so I won’t list them here, but really any will do for thisBuildas long as they keep you alive. Varen’s Legacy isn’t going to really work for hardcore Trials, but it should be very effective in farming or speed runs once you get the hang of it. Consider this Set if you run with a low DPS group or just want to have a bit of fun.
Notes for PvPers
Because you’ve lowered yourBlock Costso much, you’ll be able to jump into large crowds of players with your Shield up and still survive (with a little practice). Since Varen’s Legacy is going to increase your damage by a fair bit, especially against a larger group of players, you’ll really need a second Set that has someRecovery. Whether it beStaminaorMagicka, you will struggle to sustain withGlyph of Shieldingon all your Jewelry (if you put them on all) and zeroRecoveryon Varen’s Legacy.Magickaplayers should considerShroud of the LichorSyrabane’s Grip(which allows you to regainMagickawhen youBlockspells), and Stamina players should considerBone Pirate’s Tattersfor decentStaminapaired withStamina Recovery.
Elusive Mistis a must have skill for this kind of playstyle, because it allows you regainStaminawhile you take very little damage, so you’ll want to be aVampire. Learn to use this when you are low onStaminaand learn how to juggle your resources.
Unless you’re aDragonknightorNightblade, consider usingDevouring Swarmas yourUltimateto help keep you alive in the middle of a bunch of players and help kill them.
Using aMonster Helmset that keeps you alive such asPirate Skeletonor does AoE damage likeGrothdarrorNerien’eth(Nerien’eth got a 20% boost with theHorns of the Reach Update) may be the way to go with this. Or perhaps useValkyn Skoriaand try to maximize its AoE damage, as it is compatible withVaren’s Wall.
Final Tips
Whether you play aMagickacharacter or aStamina, this Set can work for you. The key is simply reducing yourBlock Costto a point that you can sustainBlockagainst multiple targets long enough to trigger Varen’s Wall and for you to kill them. Make sure you have enough of aStaminapool to accomplish this, and increase it if you need to.
The ideal Classes for this sort ofBuildshould be kind of obvious from the above Skills section, butDragonknights,Nightbladesare the ideal choice. EvenTemplarswill be much easier to play (and more flexible in their setups) thanSorcerersorWardens.
you’re able to play this sort of build with an Ice Staff because the passiveAncient Knowledgein theDestruction Staff Skill Linelowers theBlock Cost, much likeFortress. The downsides are that you cannotBlockand cast at the same time with a Staff, like you can with a Shield. And, you cannot get 2 5 piece bonuses without breaking up a Monster Helm Set.
Consider making it so that you have the 5 piece bonus on your Sword and Shield, with 3 body pieces to form the set. That way when you are on the opposite bar, where you won’t beBlocking, you can use a Maelstrom Staff or 2WillpowerorTorag’s PactSwords. This will increase your damage when you are playing purely offensively.
I’ll leave you with a video of some gameplay of this sort of Build. This is not my gameplay but another’s who is exceptionally skilled with this setup. Enjoy!
Stay tuned next week for ourBuildGuidearound anotherESOSet, and one you might not use too frequently!
