BEST TANK SETS IN ESO

Writer: @xGamx
Patch: Update 38 – Necrom

Welcome to The Best Tank Sets guide for The Elder Scrolls Online! There are over 500 sets in ESO, and more are always on the way with each new expansion.

This guide focuses on a range of the best Tank sets for beginner, intermediate, experienced, and end-game Tanks.

Each set is listed alphabetically and includes all the information you need, including drop location, obtainable set pieces, required DLC, and a small explainer on how and why the set is effective.

In addition, the set name will be color-coded, displaying a subjective view of the difficulty of obtaining the set. Subjectivity is based on ease of content mechanics, wipe mechanics, minimum DPS requirements, if there are one-shot abilities, etc.

Trivial | Easy | Challenging | Hard | Very Hard

Please read the entire guide and bookmark the page, as the guide will update with each new patch.

UPDATE LOG

JUNE 20 / 2023: – UPDATE 38 – NECROM
• Added Seeker Synthesis to the Crafted Sets Section.

APRIL 04 / 2023: – UPDATE 37 – SCRIBES OF FATE
• No updates for this patch.

JANUARY 24 / 2023:
• Updated many descriptors.
• Changed the entire page to reflect only the best tank sets, as the page should be.
• Added Archdruid Devyric to the Monster Set section.
• Added Pearlescent Ward to the Trial Section.
• Added Pillager’s Profit to the Trial section.
• Removed Fortified Brass from the Crafted Sets section.
• Removed Armor of the Trainee from the Overland Sets section.
• Removed Plague Doctor from the Overland Sets section.
• Removed Bani’s Torment from the Dungeon Sets section.
• Removed Elemental Catalyst from the Dungeon Sets section.
• Removed Baron Zaudrus from the Monster Sets section.
• Removed Kargaeda from the Monster Sets section.
• Removed Lord Warden from the Monster Sets section.
• Removed Magma Incarnate from the Monster Sets section.
• Removed Symphony of Blades from the Monster Sets section.
• Removed Tremorscale from the Monster Sets section.
• Removed Vykosa from the Monster Sets section.
• Removed Vestment of Olorime from the Trial Sets section.
• Removed Vrol’s Command from the Trial Sets section.
• Removed Death Dealer’s Fete from the Mythic Sets section.
• Removed Pearls of Ehlnofey from the Mythic Sets section.
• Removed Rampaging Slash from the Arena Sets section.

CRAFTED SETS

SET NAME: Armor of the Seducer
LOCATION DROPPED: Deshaan, Stormhaven, Grahtwood, or Player Homes
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
TRAITS REQUIRED: 3
DLC REQUIRED: None
NOTES: Armor of the Seducer is simple in its power and is one of the best Tank sets for beginners wanting to increase Magicka sustain. It increases your Maximum Magicka and Magicka Recovery and offers a significant cost reduction to all Magicka abilities.

SET NAME: Seeker Synthesis
LOCATION DROPPED: Telvanni Peninsula or Player Homes
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
TRAITS REQUIRED: 7
DLC REQUIRED: None
NOTES: Seeker Synthesis allows you to significantly reduce your potion cooldown by casting abilities while in combat. The cooldown of this set is 0.6 seconds, meaning if you’re casting an ability each second, you have the potential to cut your potion cooldown in half. The 2-4 piece set bonuses are excellent for a Tank as they increase your Maximum Health, Maximum Magicka, and Maximum Stamina.

SET NAME: Torug’s Pact
LOCATION DROPPED: Deshaan, Stormhaven, Grahtwood, or Player Homes
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
TRAITS REQUIRED: 3
DLC REQUIRED: None
NOTES: Torug’s Pact is an excellent beginner Tank set that could significantly improve your Stamina sustain and decrease enemy Physical and Spell Resistance with the proper enchantments. An Absorb Stamina enchantment on the front bar One Handed weapon and an Infused Crusher enchantment on the back bar Destruction Staff, respectively.

OVERLAND SETS

SET NAME: Akaviri Dragonguard
LOCATION DROPPED: Eastmarch
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: None
NOTES: Akaviri Dragonguard is an excellent intermediate Tank set that significantly reduces the cost of your Ultimate abilities, allowing you to use them more often. The 2-4 piece set bonuses are solid for a upcoming Tank.

DUNGEON SETS

SET NAME: Arkasis’s Genius
LOCATION DROPPED: Stone Garden
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: Stonethorn
NOTES: Arkasis’s Genius is a fantastic set to have in Dungeon content, but it requires a bit of setting up. To get the most out of it, you must pair three Potion Cooldown enchantments on your jewelry to match the set cooldown with your potion cooldown, sacrificing passive Magicka Recovery, but increasing burst recovery for all resources. Be aware that any more than a 15-second potion cooldown reduction will cause your potion to recharge faster than the set, meaning that you will lose out on the Ultimate if you drink a potion too quickly. You MUST be in combat before drinking a potion, or you and your group will not receive Ultimate.

SET NAME: Crimson Oath’s Rive
LOCATION DROPPED: The Dread Cellar
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: Waking Flame
NOTES: Crimson Oath’s Rive is one of the best Tank sets to use during add fights and even some boss fights. It shreds enemy Physical and Spell Resistance, meaning your Damage Dealers do not need to invest as much isnto their Offensive Penetration. This set also takes almost zero effort to activate.

SET NAME: Dragon’s Defilement
LOCATION DROPPED: Lair of Maarselok
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: Scalebreaker
NOTES: Dragon’s Defilement is most commonly used by optimized Trial groups on an Off-Tank with Crimson Oath’s Rive during add fights, as it is another set that reduces enemy Physical and Spell Resistance. This set takes almost zero effort to activate as well.

SET NAME: Drake’s Rush
LOCATION DROPPED: Black Drake Villa
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: Flames of Ambition
NOTES: Drake’s Rush is a fantastic Tank set for beginner Tanks to target, comparable to Arkasis’s Genius, but better in performance, as it allows you and your group better control over Ultimate use and does not require you to completely change your jewelry enchantments to get the most out of it. Drake’s Rush is best used in Dungeons and Arenas by experienced Tanks that are able to better manage the uptime and cooldown rate.

SET NAME: Ebon Armory
LOCATION DROPPED: Crypt of Hearts I and II
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: None
NOTES: Ebon Armory is a great Tank set for a fresh CP160 beginner looking to replace their crafted gear that is relatively easy to obtain. While group Health is not as big of an issue as it once was, it is still better than a set that only benefits you such as Plague Doctor.

SET NAME: Turning Tide
LOCATION DROPPED: Shipwright’s Regret
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: Ascending Tide
NOTES: Turning Tide is the best Tank set that all Main Tanks must have, whether you run Trials, Dungeons, or Arenas. It is the only way to apply Major Vulnerability to enemies without being a Necromancer. Pairing this set with the Nazaray Monster Set allows you to have an incredible uptime of Major Vulnerability without even needing a Necromancer in the group.

MONSTER SETS

SET NAME: Archdruid Devyric
LOCATION DROPPED: Veteran Earthen Root Enclave
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Light Armor, Medium Armor, and Heavy Armor (Helmets and Shoulder Only)
DLC REQUIRED: Lost Depths
NOTES: Archdruid Devyric is a phenomenal set when used during add fights, allowing you to equip something other than Turning Tide, such as Crimson Oath’s Rive.

SET NAME: Bloodspawn
LOCATION DROPPED: Veteran Spindleclutch II
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Light Armor, Medium Armor, and Heavy Armor (Helmets and Shoulder Only)
DLC REQUIRED: None
NOTES: Bloodspawn is an excellent first Monster Set choice for a beginner Tank. You will not benefit from the Stamina Recovery bonus while sprinting or blocking, and it has a low chance of activating. Where Bloodspawn shines is its potential to generate massive amounts of Ultimate during fights with many enemies, making it easier to activate.

SET NAME: Encratis’s Behemoth
LOCATION DROPPED: Veteran Black Drake Villa
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Light Armor, Medium Armor, and Heavy Armor (Helmets and Shoulder Only)
DLC REQUIRED: Flames of Ambition
NOTES: Encratis’s Behemoth is still helpful during add fights in Trials, as there is usually a lot of Flame Damage AOE on the ground from your Damage Dealers. This set requires a direct source of Flame Damage to activate, meaning that it cannot be from an enchantment. In most cases, Dragonknights would have this equipped over other classes as they have many Flame Damage skills, though the most commonly used would be Choking Talons or Unrelenting Grip. Most other classes must use Scalding Rune.

SET NAME: Engine Guardian
LOCATION DROPPED: Veteran Darkshade Villa II
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Light Armor, Medium Armor, and Heavy Armor (Helmets and Shoulder Only)
DLC REQUIRED: None
NOTES: Engine Guardian is the best Tank set for self-sustain. Sustain through restoration instead of recovery means you can block and still regain Stamina while tethered by the green dwarven sphere, much like potions. Engine Guardian is much better than Sentinel of Rkugamz in self-sustain but offers no benefit to your group members.

SET NAME: Nazaray
LOCATION DROPPED: Veteran Shipwright’s Regret
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Light Armor, Medium Armor, and Heavy Armor (Helmets and Shoulder Only)
DLC REQUIRED: Ascending Tide
NOTES: Nazaray is the best Tank set in terms of Monster Sets, most commonly used by the Main Tank in the group. It is best paired with Turning Tide and activated with Aggressive Horn at Ultimate cap to significantly extend Major Vulnerability’s duration.

SET NAME: Sentinel of Rkugamz
LOCATION DROPPED: Veteran Darkshade Caverns I
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Light Armor, Medium Armor, and Heavy Armor (Helmets and Shoulder Only)
DLC REQUIRED: None
NOTES: Sentinel of Rkugamz is an excellent first Monster Set choice for a beginner Tank wanting to provide some sustain to their group. The dwarven spider could be slightly unreliable, as it will not always go to your location if you want a sustain set that is more focused on yourself. In that case, Engine Guardian is the better option. Sustain through restoration instead of recovery means you can block and still regain Stamina while standing in the circle provided by the dwarven spider.

TRIAL SETS

SET NAME: (Perfected) Claw of Yolnahkriin
LOCATION DROPPED: (Veteran) Sunspire
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: Elsweyr
NOTES: Claw of Yolnahkriin is one of the best Tank sets that all Main Tanks must have. Minor Courage is a staple buff, and all you need to do to activate this set is taunt an enemy, which you almost always do as a Tank anyway. It also provides the Minor Aegis buff, further decreasing damage taken while in Dungeons, Trials, and Arenas. There are two versions of this set, Perfected and non-Perfected. The Perfected version of this set grants an additional 1,206 Maximum Health. While this is undoubtedly a benefit, it will not make or break your build if you cannot obtain the Perfected version.

SET NAME: (Perfected) Pearlescent Ward
LOCATION DROPPED: (Veteran) Dreadsail Reef
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: High Isle
NOTES: Pearlescent Ward is one of the best Tank sets that all Off-Tanks must have. It provides a Weapon and Spell Damage buff to all group members that is only slightly less than Minor Courage. This set is most commonly used by progression Trial groups struggling with a particular boss fight. This set could allow a group to recover from wiping by increasing group damage reduction for each dead ally up to 66%. It also provides the Minor Aegis buff, further decreasing damage taken while in Dungeons, Trials, and Arenas. There are two versions of this set, Perfected and non-Perfected. The Perfected version of this set grants an additional 1,206 Maximum Health. While this is undoubtedly a benefit, it will not make or break your build if you cannot obtain the Perfected version.

SET NAME: (Perfected) Pillager’s Profit
LOCATION DROPPED: (Veteran) Dreadsail Reef
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Light Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: High Isle
NOTES: Pillager’s Profit is most commonly equipped by a Healer, but it is still an excellent utility set to have as an Off-Tank in Trials. It works similarly to Arkasis’s Genius and Drake’s Rush but affects 11 group members instead of only three. Because this set is capped at a maximum of 20 Ultimate shared, the most efficient way to use it is to cast your Ultimate at 400 instead of waiting until it is capped at 500. It also provides the Minor Aegis buff, further decreasing damage taken while in Dungeons, Trials, and Arenas. There are two versions of this set, Perfected and non-Perfected. The Perfected version of this set grants an additional 129 Magicka Recovery. While this is undoubtedly a benefit, it will not make or break your build if you cannot obtain the Perfected version.

SET NAME: (Perfected) Saxhleel Champion
LOCATION DROPPED: (Veteran) Rockgrove
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Heavy Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: Blackwood
NOTES: Saxhleel Champion is a fantastic set that optimized Trial groups sometimes use on an Off-Tank, extending the duration of Major Force from your Aggressive Horn Ultimate or allowing you to grant Major Force still when using a different Ultimate, such as Replenishing Barrier or Glacial Colossus. It also provides the Minor Aegis buff, further decreasing damage taken while in Dungeons, Trials, and Arenas. There are two versions of this set, Perfected and non-Perfected. The Perfected version of this set grants an additional 1,096 Maximum Stamina. While this is undoubtedly a benefit, it will not make or break your build if you cannot obtain the Perfected version.

SET NAME: War Machine
LOCATION DROPPED: Halls of Fabrication
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Medium Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: Morrowind
NOTES: War Machine is best used in Dungeons on the back bar, allowing you to provide your group with Major Force and Major Slayer when you use your Aggressive Horn Ultimate. It also allows you to use a defensive Ultimate, such as Replenishing Barrier and still provide the group with an offensive buff.

ARENA SETS

SET NAME: (Perfected) Puncturing Remedy
LOCATION DROPPED: (Veteran) Dragonstar Arena
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Weapons (One-handed and Shield Only)
DLC REQUIRED: None
NOTES: Puncturing Remedy is the best Tank set for self-healing, but it requires some experience running a back bar exclusive 5-piece set. Doing so allows you much more flexibility but requires you to manage uptimes and cooldowns of the back bar set. Turning Tide, Drake’s Rush, Pillager’s Profit, etc., are all fantastic sets to pair with Puncturing Remedy. There are two versions of this set, Perfected and non-Perfected. The Perfected version of this set grants an additional 3% Healing Taken. While this is undoubtedly a benefit, it will not make or break your build if you cannot obtain the Perfected version.

SET NAME: (Perfected) Void Bash
LOCATION DROPPED: (Veteran) Vateshran Hollows
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Weapons (One-handed and Shield Only)
DLC REQUIRED: Markarth
NOTES: Void Bash is the best Tank set to use while grouping enemies in Dungeons, but, like Puncturing Remedy, it requires some level of experience with running a back bar exclusive 5-piece set. Doing so allows you much more flexibility but requires you to manage uptimes and cooldowns of the back bar set. Turning Tide, Drake’s Rush, Pillager’s Profit, etc., are all fantastic sets to pair with Void Bash. It requires you to slot a variant of Power Bash for the effect to trigger and would be best cast early in combat because it cannot pull in Crowd Control (CC) locked enemies. There are two versions of this set, Perfected and non-Perfected. The Perfected version of this set grants an additional 965 Maximum Health. While this is undoubtedly a benefit, it will not make or break your build if you cannot obtain the Perfected version, and it may not always be the best idea to stagger your Maximum Health values between your action bars.

MYTHIC SETS

SET NAME: Spaulder of Ruin
LOCATION DROPPED: Scrying
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Light Armor (Shoulder Piece Only)
DLC REQUIRED: Greymoor, Blackwood, and The Deadlands (Skill line is locked behind Greymoor and leads drop from both Blackwood and The Deadlands)
NOTES: Spaulder of Ruin is a Tank set to use in Dungeons between bosses, as most add fights are not too taxing on your resources and offer some time to regenerate between them. Using a Mythic Set item sometimes requires you to adjust your build and make sacrifices to complement it, especially Spaulder of Ruin. Many Tanks will not notice the decrease in Health Recovery and Stamina Recovery, but all Tanks will feel the reduction in Magicka Recovery. You must accommodate this loss through other sources of Magicka sustain.

PVP SETS

SET NAME: Powerful Assault
LOCATION DROPPED: Imperial Sewers
OBTAINABLE SET PIECES: Medium Armor, Jewelry, and Weapons
DLC REQUIRED: Imperial City (Players frequently have pieces of this set on Guild Stores)
NOTES: Powerful Assault is a must have Tank set. It is now most commonly used by beginner Tanks looking to replace their crafted sets with something that can be purchased for relatively cheap on guild stores, the Ice Staff being an exception. All skills from the Assault skill line can activate the set effect, but Echoing Vigor and Razor Caltrops stand out above the rest. Be aware that some Healers will use this set, so be sure to communicate with your group and have alternatives.