Categories: Best Nightblade Builds, Beginner Builds
This beginner build for the Magicka Nightblade class in The Elder Scrolls Online uses nothing but easy to obtain Overland sets and is extremely powerful! Great damage, self-healing and survival all in one package makes this one of the easiest Nightblade builds in the game!

Check The Best Beginner Classes in ESO
Primary Sets
Our main 5 piece set on this build is War Maiden, one of the best sets in the game for Magicka Nightblade as it buffs the damage of nearly all of our abilities!
Mother’s Sorrow is another powerful set that is easy to obtain and synergizes well with the Nightblade’s inherent Critical Damage and Critical Chance bonuses.
For the final two pieces of gear on this build Armor Of The Trainee is recommended for the extra Health and Magicka.

War Maiden
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(3 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
(4 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(5 items) Adds 600 Weapon and Spell Damage to your Magic Damage abilities.

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

Armor Of The Trainee
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(1 item) Adds 1454 Maximum Health
(2 items) Adds 1454 Maximum Magicka
(3 items) Adds 1454 Maximum Stamina
Alternative Sets
For alternative sets, Innate Axiom makes a nice Crafted replacement for War Maiden as most of our damaging skills are class-based. Another great option that is crafted will be Order’s Wrath – this is similar to Mother’s Sorrow but also provides bonus Critical Damage.

Innate Axiom
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(3 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka, Adds 1096 Maximum Stamina
(4 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(5 items) Adds 400 Weapon and Spell Damage to your Class abilities.

Order’s Wrath
LVL 50 – CP 160
SET BONUS
(2 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(3 items) Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
(4 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(5 items) Adds 943 Critical Chance, Increases your Critical Damage and Critical Healing by 8%.
Sample Gear Loadout
Weapon/Armor | Set | Trait | Weight | Glyph |
Main Hand | Armor Of The Trainee Inferno Staff | Precise | NA | Absorb Magic |
Backup | Armor Of The Trainee Inferno Staff | Infused | NA | Weapon/Spell Damage |
Head | War Maiden | Divines | Light | Magicka |
Shoulder | War Maiden | Divines | Light | Magicka |
Chest | War Maiden | Divines | Light | Magicka |
Waist | War Maiden | Divines | Light | Magicka |
Gloves | War Maiden | Divines | Light | Magicka |
Legs | Mother’s Sorrow | Divines | Light | Magicka |
Feet | Mother’s Sorrow | Divines | Light | Magicka |
Necklace | Mother’s Sorrow | Arcane | NA | Spell Damage |
Ring 1 | Mother’s Sorrow | Arcane | NA | Spell Damage |
Ring 2 | Mother’s Sorrow | Arcane | NA | Magicka Recovery |
Attributes
Most of our skills cost Magicka to cast, so putting all of your Attribute Points into the Magicka stat makes the most sense.
64 Magicka
0 Health
0 Stamina
Consumables, Race, Mundus
Race
Khajiit is one of my favorite options for any Nightblade build as its racial passives synergize well with Nightblade’s critical focus passives. For more details on all ESO Races and passive bonuses be sure to check out our Full ESO Race Guide.
Check the Best Nightblade Races For ESO
Mundus
The Thief

The Thief
Increases the Critical Strike rating by 1333
With 7 Divines armor pieces
Increases the Critical Strike rating by 2167
Food/Drink Buff
Witchmother’s Potent Brew

Witchmother’s potent brew
Increase MaxMagickaby 2856, MaxHealthby 3094, andMagicka Recoveryby 315 for 2 hours.
These effects are scaled based on your level.
Potions
Basic Magicka Potions





Basic Magicka Potions
Sample Skill Loadout
Main Weapon: DUAL WIELD – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
- Impale
- Dark Cloak or Dampen Magic
- Inner Light
- Concealed Weapon
- Merciless Resolve
- ULT: Soul Harvest
Backup Weapon: BOW – Click on a Skill Name to learn more
- Twisting Path
- Elemental Blockade
- Degeneration
- Siphoning Attacks
- Debilitate
- ULT: Elemental Rage
Sample Rotation
Buffs: Maintain Merciless Resolve buff at all times.
Damage: Start on the backbar by casting Twisting Path, Elemental Blockade, Degeneration, Siphoning Attacks, Debilitate, then Bar Swap.
Cast Merciless Resolve Bow, Concealed Weapon x5, Merciless Resolve Bow, then Bar Swap back.
Tips: Remember to Light Attack in between each skill. This will add stacks to your Merciless Resolve which can then be cast for BIG damage and healing. Use Dampen Magic or Dark Cloak as needed for survival. At 25% switch Concealed Weapon to Impale.
Important Passives
- Refreshing Shadows
- Shadow Barrier
- Executioner
- Hemorrhage
- Pressure Points
- Catalyst
- Evocation
- Prodigy
- Concentration
- Ancient Knowledge

How To Create Powerful ESO Builds
Crafting the Perfect Build for you in The Elder Scrolls Online can be frustrating. Which skills are best for each class? What about passives? The best race? The best armor type and weapons? The best trait and glyphs? There are literally THOUSANDS of different options!
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Our Guides are designed with New and Intermediate players in mind! Stop wasting hours searching the internet for the best ESO build information – get what you need NOW to succeed!
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