Trials Guide
(Wrathstone Edition, updated 3/16/2019)
By binarybandit & Whispering Fang Syndicate (PC/NA)
Trials are a very rewarding and exciting group event for players to participate in. Completing trials allow you to acquire trials gear, transmutation stones, and to have the opportunity to push your characters limit and have fun with other guild members.
Saying that, trials are a group effort, and thus to help everyone you will need to do a few things differently than you would if you were doing solo or 4 man content.
Contents show
– As a common courtesy to everyone, before you sign up for trials, please make sure you will be able to attend it. If something unexpected happens, then that’s understandable, but please let us know beforehand if possible.
-Make sure you have all the requirements before we start. Again, as a common courtesy to the others in the trial group, we expect you to be prepared.
-No unnecessary chatter during boss fights. People will be providing information about boss mechanics, needing rezzes, or other things, so comms must be kept clear so they can be heard. During mob fights though, comms are usually open.
-Lower the game audio so you can hear people on Discord Voice.
-If you are a DPS and someone dies next to you, go and revive them if the battlefield situation allows for it (no massive AoE happening or something). Do not expect someone else to go do it, especially not a healer or tank. If a tank or healer goes down, they are immediate priority.
-Wait until the end of th qe trial to trade gear. This is to ensure a smooth trial experience.
-Please don’t pester a person if they receive an item that you want. It is up to them if they wish to hand it over, and are under no obligation to do so.
Buffs are also incredibly important. Buffs from skills, along with those from the previously mentioned sets, will increase the DPS, survivability, and efficiency of the group as a whole. The grand majority of buffs can be provided to the group through various skills:
Minor Brutality- (5% Weapon Damage) from DK passive
Major Brutality- (20% Weapon Damage) Potion Self buff, or Igneous Weapons from a DK
Minor Savagery-(3% Weapon Critical) Hemorrhage from Nightblade passive
Major Savagery-(10% Weapon Critical)Potion Self buff, recommend Weapon Power Potion
Minor Sorcery- (5% Spell Damage) Illuminate from Templar passive
Major Sorcery- (20% Spell Damage) Potion Self buff, or Igneous Weapons from a DK
Minor Prophecy-(3% Spell Critical) Exploitation from Sorcerer passive
Major Prophecy-(10% Spell Critical) Potion Self buff, recommend Spell Power Potion
Minor Berserk (8% damage increase) Combat Prayer from Healer
Minor Resolve+Ward (1320 Phys./Spell Res.) Combat Prayer from Healer
Major Resolve+Ward (5280 Phys./Spell Res.) Expansive Frost Cloak from Warden
Minor Endurance+Minor Intellect (10% Stam/Mag recovery) Enchanted Growth from Warden
Minor Force (10% Crit Damage) Self-buff from Trap Beast
Major Force (15% Crit Damage) Aggressive Horn from Tank/Healer
Minor Slayer (5% Damage in Trials/Dungeons) Self-buff from trials gear
Major Slayer (15% Damage in Trials/Dungeons) War Machine/Master Architect gear
Minor Toughness (10% Max Health) Maturation from Warden passive
4.) Debuffs
Just like buffs, debuffs on the enemy are also important. They can reduce an enemy’s damage done, have them take more damage, increase the penetration on them, and more. Here are the must have debuffs, and who should typically provide them.
Minor Fracture+Breach (Lowers Phys./Spell Res. by 1320) Power of the Light from Templar
Major Fracture+Breach (Lowers Phys./Spell Res. by 5280) Pierce Armor from Tank
Minor Vulnerability (Increase damage taken by 8%) Shock damage
Minor Maim (15% reduced damage taken) Heroic Slash from Tank
Alkosh (3010 Physical/Spell Penetration) Tank
Crusher Enchant, Infused, Torugs (2740 Physical/Spell Penetration) Tank
Weakening Enchant , Infused, Torugs (588 reduced Weapon/Spell Damage) Tank
Healing Mage (430 reduced Weapon Damage) Healer
The gear you wear might not only need to benefit yourself, but others as well. Instead of wearing a set that only helps you,consider wearing one that has the same effect but aids the whole group, or something that will help everyone overall. Ideally, every trial group would have their group bring some of these sets. These sets are:
StamDPS Group Sets
War Machine-(using Ultimate) You+closest 2 allies gain Major Slayer, increasing your damage done to Dungeons and Trials Monsters by 15%.
MagDPS Group Sets
Master Architect- (using Ultimate) You+closest 2 allies gain Major Slayer, increasing your damage done to Dungeons and Trials Monsters by 15%.
Healer Group Sets
Vestment of Olorime- Casting ground effect abilities in combat will create a circle of might on the ground for 10 seconds. You and your allies in the circle gain Major Courage for 30 seconds, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 258 for 30 seconds. This effect can occur every 10 seconds.
Jorvuld’s Guidance- Increases the duration of all Major buffs, Minor buffs, and damage shields you apply to yourself and allies by 40%
Worm’s Rainment-Reduces the cost of your Magicka abilities by 4% for you and your group.
Spell Power Cure-When you heal a friendly target that is at 100% Health, you have a 50% chance to increase their Weapon and Spell Damage by 258 for 10 seconds.
Healing Mage-When you use an area of effect heal ability, you reduce the Weapon Damage of all enemies within 10 meters by 430 of you for 3 seconds.
(optional)
Sanctuary-Increases your healing received by 12% for you and your group within 10 meters.
Hircine’s Veneer:Increases your Stamina Recovery by 10% for you and your group.
Tank Group Sets
Ebon- Increases your Max Health by 1118 for you and your group.
Roar of Alkosh– (using a synergy) 13760 damage+ 3010 Physical/Spell Pen
Torug’s Pact- Increases potency and reduces cooldown of weapon’s enchantment by by 30%.
These sets are useful to bring along to trials once all the group sets needed have been accounted for.
StamDPS
Damage Sets
Arms of Relequen– (light+heavy attack) Harmful winds deal 200 Physical Damage every 1 second for 5 seconds. 20 stacks max.
Berzerking Warrior– (melee damage) Critical Strike rating is increased by 400 for 5 seconds, stacking up to 5 times.
Vicious Ophidian-Reduces the cost of your Stamina abilities by 8%. When you kill an enemy, you restore 2150 Stamina and gain Major Expedition for 20 seconds, increasing your Movement Speed by 30%.
Twice-Fanged Serpent- When you deal damage, your Physical Penetration is increased by 860 for 3 seconds, stacking up to 5 times. (see Penetration section)
(Non-Trial sets)
Briarheart- (10% on Crit) +449 Weapon Damage for 10 seconds, and crits heal for 609 Health
Hunding’s Rage- Adds 299 Weapon Damage
Leviathan- Total of 3,590 Weapon Critical (16.4%)
Monster Sets
Kragh-(10% on attack) Spawn dreugh limbs that create shockwaves in front of you dealing 1300 Physical Damage every 0.4 seconds for 1.2 seconds.
Velidreth-(20% on attack) Spawn 3 disease spores in front of you that deal 10320 Disease Damage to the first enemy hit
Selene-(15% on direct melee damage) Call on a primal spirit that mauls the closest enemy in front of you for 12000 Physical Damage.
MagDPS
Damage Sets
Mantle of Sioria- (direct damage) Creates a ring of fire beneath you for 10 seconds. Standing in the ring grants you a stack of Siroria’s Boon for 5 seconds. Each stack increases your Spell Damage by 30. 20 stacks max
(Non-trial Sets)
Burning Spellweave-(15% on Flame attack)Apply the burning status effect to the enemy and increase your Spell Damage by 525 for 8 seconds
Mother’s Sorrow– Total of 3,590 Weapon Critical (16.4%)
(If using pets)
Necropotence- While you have a pet active, your Max Magicka is increased by 3150.
Monster Sets
Grothdarr- (10% on attack) Create lava pools that swirl around you, dealing 1800 Flame Damage to all enemies within 8 meters of you every 1 second for 5 seconds
Ilambris- (10% Fire/Shock damage) Summon a meteor shower that deals 1170 Damage to all enemies within 4 meters every 1 seconds for 5 seconds
Valkyn Skoria- (8% on DoT attack) Summon a meteor that deals 9000 Flame Damage to target and 4000 Flame Damage all other enemies within 5 meters.
Healer
Healing Sets
Monster Sets
Earthgore- When you heal a friendly target that is under 50% Health you conjure a pool of quenching blood underneath them, which soaks up enemy placed effects instantly and heals all friendly targets in the area for 30000 Health over 3 seconds
Sentinel of Rkugamz- (10% on heal) Summon a dwemer spider that heals for 1049 Health and restores 524 Stamina to you and your allies within 5 meters every 1 second for 8 seconds.
Nightflame- (5% on heal) Summon a totem for 6 seconds that heals you and your allies in area for 3483 Health every 1 second. This effect can occur once every 6 seconds.
Tank
Tanking Sets
Akaviri Dragonguard-Reduces cost of Ultimate abilities by 15%.
Monster Sets
Lord Warden- (50% on damage) Summon a shadow orb for 10 seconds that increases the Physical and Spell Resistance of you and your allies within 5 meters by 3870.
Getting the most amount of penetration possible is helpful, since it allows one to do the most damage possible by reducing the enemies resistances. Achieving max penetration of 18,200 is very useful when conducting trials, as it allows you to completely negate the enemy’s resistances. For an in-depth look, take a look at this post: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/426277/the-comprehensive-penetration-calculator
Physical Penetration
1320 from Minor Fracture
5280 from Major Fracture
3010 from Alkosh from Tank
2740 from Infused Crusher enchant from Tank
3184 from 37 points in Piercing (The Ritual constellation)
____
15,634 Physical Penetration/18,200 Total Physical Resistance
At this point, you would be at 86% penetration. To reach max penetration of 18,200, you would need an additional 2,566 penetration. This can be achieved through a combinations of:
1,328 from each Sharpened 1H weapon (epic) (max 2,656 pen, 100%)
4,300 from Twice-Fanged Serpent 5 piece bonus (100%+ pen, can reduce Piercing points to 15)
3,450 from Spriggan’s Thorns 5 piece set (100%+ pen, can reduce Piercing points to 24)
1,487 from 1 pc Kragh’s bonus
2,752 from Lover Mundus (not recommended)
Spell Penetration
1320 from Minor Breach
5280 from Major Breach
4884 from Concentration passive (Light Armor)
3010 from Alkosh from Tank
2740 from Infused Crusher enchant from Tank
____
17,204 Spell Penetration/18,200 Total Spell Resistance
One should only need about 20-30 points into Spell Erosion to achieve max penetration, with no additional armor sets needed.
