Category:Best Sorcerer Builds, DPS Builds
The VOLCANIX Build is an Easy and Powerful Magicka Sorcerer DPS Build for The Elder Scrolls Online focused on several sources of heavy attack damage while also keeping the skills and rotation simple! No Trials Gear or complicated rotations required!
Check The Best DPS Classes in ESO
Primary Sets
This build is an easy Heavy Attack focused build. Because of this, Noble Duelist and the Crushing Wall set work very well in amplifying that damage. Note that you can get the Maelstrom staff now by completing NORMAL Maelstrom Arena.
Medusa helps to simply our rotation even further on this build by giving us the Minor Force buff for free as well as giving us lots of bonus Spell Critical.
Finally, Zaan adds some great additional passive DPS through its powerful Proc condition, as well as extra Spell Critical. As this build also needs to be in melee range to Proc the Noble Duelist set, this helps with the Zaan proc as well.
Medusa
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(3 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(4 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(5 items) Adds 892 Critical Chance. Gain Minor Force at all times, increasing your Critical Damage by 10%.
Noble Duelist
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 129 Stamina Recovery
(3 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(4 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(5 items) When you deal damage with a Light or Heavy Attack in melee range, you cause your Light and Heavy Attacks to deal an additional 2111 damage for 15 seconds. This effect can occur once every 12 seconds.
Zaan
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(2 items) When you damage a nearby enemy with a Light or Heavy Attack, you have a 33% chance to create a beam of fire that will connect you to your enemy. The beam deals 2010 Flame Damage every 1 second to your enemy for 6 seconds. Every second, this damage increases by 100%. The beam is broken if the enemy moves 8 meters away from you. This effect can occur every 18 seconds.
Crushing Wall
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Increases the damage Wall of Elements deals by 1250.
Alternative Sets
For alternatives, Mother’s Sorrow can be used in place of Medusa, though you will need to add Barbed Trap or Channeled Acceleration to your skills for the Minor Force.
Mother’s Sorrow
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
(3 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(4 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(5 items) Adds 1528 Critical Chance
Gear Setup
| Weapon/Armor | Set | Trait | Weight | Glyph |
| Main Hand | Medusa Lightning Staff | Precise | NA | Shock Enchant |
| Backup | Maelstrom Inferno Staff | Infused | NA | Spell Damage |
| Head | Zaan | Divines | Heavy | Magicka |
| Shoulder | Zaan | Divines | Medium | Magicka |
| Chest | Noble Duelist | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Waist | Noble Duelist | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Gloves | Noble Duelist | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Legs | Noble Duelist | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Feet | Noble Duelist | Divines | Light | Magicka |
| Necklace | Medusa | Infused | NA | Spell Damage |
| Ring 1 | Medusa | Infused | NA | Spell Damage |
| Ring 2 | Medusa | Infused | NA | Spell Damage |
Consumables, Race, Mundus
Race
My favorite race for this build is High Elf thanks to the extra spell damage, max magicka and Spell Recharge passive. Khajiit and Dark Elf are also strong choices. Breton is fine, though the extra cost reduction is often wasted on a Heavy Attack build like this one. For more details on all ESO Races and passive bonuses be sure to check out our Full ESO Race Guide.
Check the Best Sorcerer Races For ESO
Mundus
The Shadow
Food/Drink Buff
Mistral Banana-Bunny Hash
Potions
Spell Power Potions
Skills
Main Weapon: LIGHTNING STAFF – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
- Daedric Prey
- Twilight Tormentor
- Volcanic Rune
- Bound Aegis
- Inner Light
- ULT: Greater Storm Atronach
Backup Weapon: INFERNO STAFF – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
- Elemental Blockade
- Twilight Tormentor
- Structured Entropy
- Hardened Ward
- Critical Surge
- ULT: Greater Storm Atronach
Skills Discussion & Rotation
Easy Rotation
Rotate Volcanic Rune and Heavy Attacks
Full Rotation
Start on the Backbar with Twilight Tormentor -> Elemental Blockade -> Bar Swap
Daedric Prey -> Volcanic Rune -> Heavy Attack -> Volcanic Rune -> Heavy Attack
Daedric Prey -> Volcanic Rune -> Heavy Attack -> Bar Swap -> Repeat
Notes
- Remember to light attack between all abilities, except where Heavy Attacks are noted
- Below 50% Boss Health switch Twilight Tormentor to Structured Entropy
Passive Skills
Class Passives
- Unholy Knowledge
- Blood Magic
- Persistence
- Exploitation
- Power Stone
- Daedric Protection
- Capacitor
- Energized
- Amplitude
- Expert Mage
Weapon Passives
- Tri Focus
- Penetrating Magic
- Elemental Force
- Ancient Knowledge
- Destruction Expert
Armor Passives
- Grace
- Evocation
- Spell Warding
- Prodigy
- Concentration
- Dexterity
- Agility
Guild Passives
- Mage Adept
- Everlasting Magic
- Magicka Controller
- Might Of The Guild
- Undaunted Mettle
Racial
- All Racial Passives
Other
- Medicinal Use
Companions
If you like playing Solo, this build can benefit greatly from using Companions! This Solo build will benefit the most from the additional healing and defensive options a tank focused Companion can offer, so if you are going to use a Companion I would suggest a full tank build for them. I recommend Bastian Hallix for Companion on this build with the set up below. More information on Companions Builds and Skills can be found in our detailed Companion Guides section.
Recommended Gear
- All Heavy Armor – Mixed Vigorous and Quickened Traits
- One Handed Weapon and Shield
Recommended Skills
1. Provoke
2. Searing Weapons
3. Drake’s Blood
4. Kindle
5. On Guard
6 ULT. Unleashed Rage
Additional Skills
The skills below may also be helpful in other situations such as trash pulls.
- Bashing Bulwark
- Crushing Claws
- Blazing Grasp
Full Companion Build: GUARDIAN DRAKE
The Guardian Drake is a strong option for Bastian Hallix as a Tank. Bastian is one of the new Companions available to ESO players starting in the Blackwood Chapter. The theme of this build is focused around Self-Healing and Survival, allowing Bastian to keep himself alive against many tough opponents and even bosses with very little help from others.
Champion Points
Below you will find the recommended Active and Passive Champion Point Stars for this build, broken down into 300, 600, 900, and 1200 CP ranges.
For more information on Champion Points click on a Star name below or browse our detailed Champion Points Guides.
Constellation Descriptions:
Craft
The Green Craft Constellation is focused on crafting and utility-centered upgrades.
Warfare
The Blue Warfare Constellation focuses primarily on increasing player damage, healing and defenses
Fitness
The Red Fitness Constellation is focused on character survival and sustain.
– 300 Champion Points –
GREEN
- 50 Steed’s Blessing (Slot)
- 50 Gilded Fingers
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Biting Aura (Slot)
RED
- 50 Boundless Vitality (Slot)
- 50 Rejuvenation (Slot)
– 600 Champion Points –
GREEN
- 50 Steed’s Blessing (Slot)
- 50 Gilded Fingers
- 10 Fortune’s Favor
- 15 Wanderer
- 40 Steadfast Enchantment
- 30 Rationer (Slot)
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Biting Aura (Slot)
- 50 Deadly Aim (Slot)
- 50 Thaumaturge (Slot)
RED
- 50 Boundless Vitality (Slot)
- 50 Rejuvenation (Slot)
- 10 Sprinter
- 8 Hasty
- 30 Hero’s Vigor
- 50 Siphoning Spells (Slot)
– 900 Champion Points –
GREEN
- 50 Steed’s Blessing (Slot)
- 50 Gilded Fingers
- 10 Fortune’s Favor
- 15 Wanderer
- 40 Steadfast Enchantment
- 30 Rationer (Slot)
- 50 Breakfall
- 50 Treasure Hunter (Slot)
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Biting Aura (Slot)
- 50 Deadly Aim (Slot)
- 50 Thaumaturge (Slot)
- 50 Fighting Finesse (Slot)
- 20 Flawless Ritual
- 30 War Mage
RED
- 50 Boundless Vitality (Slot)
- 50 Rejuvenation (Slot)
- 10 Sprinter
- 32 Hasty
- 30 Hero’s Vigor
- 50 Siphoning Spells (Slot)
- 10 Shield Master
- 50 Bastion (Slot)
- 15 Tumbling
– 1200 Champion Points –
GREEN
- 50 Steed’s Blessing (Slot)
- 50 Gilded Fingers
- 30 Fortune’s Favor
- 15 Wanderer
- 50 Steadfast Enchantment
- 30 Rationer (Slot)
- 50 Breakfall
- 50 Treasure Hunter (Slot)
- 75 Liquid Efficiency (Slot)
BLUE
- 20 Precision
- 20 Piercing
- 50 Biting Aura (Slot)
- 50 Deadly Aim (Slot)
- 50 Thaumaturge (Slot)
- 50 Fighting Finesse (Slot)
- 20 Flawless Ritual
- 30 War Mage
- 20 Eldritch Insight
- 20 Quick Recovery
- 20 Preparation
- 20 Hardy
- 20 Elemental Aegis
RED
- 50 Boundless Vitality (Slot)
- 50 Rejuvenation (Slot)
- 40 Sprinter
- 32 Hasty
- 40 Hero’s Vigor
- 50 Siphoning Spells (Slot)
- 10 Shield Master
- 50 Bastion (Slot)
- 30 Tumbling
- 40 Defiance
How To Create Powerful ESO Builds
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