The best Werewolf builds for PvE in The Elder Scrolls Online

The magic of The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is that you have an unlimited number of ways to build your character by combining the different races, classes, and playstyles. Werewolf characters—an affliction that offers new abilities and can be gained through the Crown Store or by being bitten by another werewolf player—can be incredibly strong in PvE.

It’s important to remember that becoming a werewolf in ESO has its cons. You take 25 percent more damage from poison attacks and will lose access to your class skills while transformed. You’ll also receive a bounty if you transform while in a city.

Werewolf active and passive skills in ESO

Once you become a werewolf in ESO, you’ll be able to benefit from several active and passive skills while in your werewolf form as you level up.

Here are all the werewolf’s active skills in ESO:

• Werewolf Transformation: Transform into a beast, fearing nearby enemies for three seconds. While Transformed your max stamina is increased by 30 percent. While slotted, your stamina recovery is increased by 15 percent.
• Pounce: Pounce on an enemy with primal fury, dealing Bleed Damage.
• Hircine’s Bounty: Invoke the Huntsman’s blessing, healing you. This ability scales off your max health. If you are at full health you instead restore stamina. While slotted you gain Major Brutality and Sorcery, increasing your weapon and spell damage by 20 percent.
• Roar: Roar with bloodlust to terrify up to six nearby enemies, fearing them for a couple of seconds and setting them off balance for seven seconds
• Piercing Howl: Crush an enemy with a deafening howl, dealing physical damage. Enemies who are facing you take 10 percent more damage from this attack.
• Infectious Claws: Shred enemies in front of you with your tainted claws, dealing disease damage and additional disease damage over 20 seconds. Enemies hit by the initial hit are afflicted with the diseased status effect.

Here are all werewolf passive skills in ESO:

• Pursuit: Increases your movement speed by 15 percent. Increases the stamina your heavy attacks restore by 25 percent.
• Devour: Allows you to devour corpses to increase the duration of your Werewolf Transformation and restore your health.
• Blood Rage: When you deal damage, the duration of your Werewolf Transformation is increased by two seconds.
• Bloodmoon: Allows you to infect another player with Lycanthropy once every seven days by returning to the werewolf ritual site.
• Savage Strength: Increases your weapon and spell damage by nine percent. Grants you Major Resolve, increasing your physical and spell resistance.
• Call of the Pack: Reduces the cost of remaining in your Werewolf Transformation by 10 percent for each transformed werewolf or dire wolf in your group, including yourself, up to a maximum of 40 percent.

Best Werewolf builds (PvE) in ESO

We picked three builds to guide your build, but you can pick from different builds to create your unique character. We have separated the builds in gear and playstyles to help you customize your character depending on which game stage you are in.

Related: What are the best classes in The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO)?

The most important thing for a werewolf in ESO is stamina and stamina recovery. So put all your attributes in stamina and, when attacking as a werewolf, focus on heavy attacks to restore this resource, and use potions and food when in need.

Werewolf PVE build gear

In general, focus on stamina-based sets for your gear and close-combat weapons such as swords and daggers enchanted with poison or fire damage.

With Trial Gear

This build requires the Summerset DLC and the completed Cloudrest trial.

• Armor: Slimecraw (Head), Arms of Relequen (Shoulders, Hands, Chest, Waist, and Feet), and Pillar of Nirn (Legs).
• Jewelry: Pillar of Nirn (Necklace, and Ring), and Oakensou Ring.
• Weapon: Pillar of Nirn (Dual-Wied daggers)

Without Trial Gear

• Armor: Stormfist (Head, and Shoulder), Order’s Wrath or Vicious Serpent (Hands, Chest, Waist, Legs, and Feet).
• Jewelry: Tzogvin’s Warband (Necklace, and Rings).
• Weapon: Tzogvin’s Warband (Daggers) and Merciless Charge (Two-hand sword)

For beginners

• Armor: Night Mother’s Gaze (Head, Shoulder), Hunding’s Rage (Hands, Chest, Waist, and Feet), and Pillar of Nirn (Legs).
• Jewelry: Pillar of Nirn (Necklace, and Ring), and Oakensou Ring.
• Weapon: Pillar of Nirn (Dual-Wied daggers)

Tank build

• Armor: Tremorscale (Head, Shoulder), Tormentore (Hands, Chest, Waist, Legs, and Feet).
• Jewelry: Turning Tide (Necklace, and Rings)
• Weapon: Turning Tide (Sword, Shield, and Lighting Staff)

Werewolf DPS PVE build

This build is suited for all classes and your Stamina-based character. Follow this set of skills for a game style focused on damage. It’s a great choice if you like to play alone as well. Activate the Thief Mundus Stone and focus on Stamina based races like Dark Elves, Orcs, and Khajits.

Active Skills

• Skill one: Howl of Agony
• Skill two: Brutal Pounce
• Skill three: Claws of Life
• Skill four: Hircine’s Rage
• Skill five: Deafening Roar
• Ultimate: Werewolf Berserker

Champion Points

• Warfare: Deadly Aim, Master-at-Arms, Wrathful Strikes, Fighting Finesse, Backstabber.
• Craft: Rationer, Liquid Efficiency, Master Gatherer, Steed’s Blessing, Treasure Hunter.
• Fitness: Bloody Renewal, Bastion, Fortified, Rejuvenation, Boundless Vitality.

Werewolf Solo PVE build

When playing alone, it’s important to be prepared to face the different types of dungeons and bosses in the game. You can opt for either the Lover or the Thief Mundus Stones and pick any Stamina-based race.

• Skill one: Howl of Agony
• Skill two: Feral Pounce
• Skill three: Claws of Life
• Skill four: Hircine’s Fortitude
• Skill five: Deafening Roar
• Ultimate: Pack Leader

Champion Points

• Warfare: Deadly Aim, Master-at-Arms, Fighting Finesse, Reaving Blows.
• Craft: Rationer, Liquid Efficiency, Master Gatherer, Steed’s Blessing, Treasure Hunter.
• Fitness: Bloody Renewal, Fortified, Rejuvenation, Boundless Vitality.

Werewolf Tank PVE build

If you want to be the one to receive most of the damage, charge into dungeons, and help your friends, this is the build for you. This works well with almost every class but is recommended when playing in a group. Go for the Atronach Mundus Stone and opt for either a Nord, Imperial, Argonian, or Orc race.

• Skill one: Feral Pounce
• Skill two: Howl of Despair
• Skill three: Claws of Life
• Skill four: Hircine’s Fortitude
• Skill five: Deafening Roar
• Ultimate: Pack Leader

Champion Points

• Warfare: Unassailable, Bulwark, Reinforced, Duelist’s Rebuff.
• Craft: Rationer, Liquid Efficiency, Master Gatherer, Steed’s Blessing.
• Fitness: Bracing Anchor, Fortified, Rejuvenation, Boundless Vitality.

Related: Elder Scrolls fans can’t wait to play this incredible Skyrim-Oblivion mod

Werewolf and the classes in ESO

There are seven classes that you can choose from when creating your character: Dragonknight, Sorcerer, Nightblade, Templar, Warden, Necromancer, and Arcanist with the release of the Necrom chapter.

Some classes work best with the werewolf build than others in ESO. The classes mainly affect the character’s human form build, but some can work well while in the werewolf form. Sorcerer and Templars are the best DPS classes, while Dragonknights are best for the Tank build.

Here are how each class works with the werewolf build in ESO and some of the benefits you get by combining them.

Sorcerer Werewolf

The best class for a werewolf is the Sorcerer. You’ll get great damage because of this class’ passive skills that give more physical damage while costing less to use your ultimate and transform into a werewolf. We recommend following the DPS and Solo build with this class.

Templar Werewolf

Templars can also grant you more damage while in werewolf form with extra weapon damage. Passive skills also give more critical damage and less ultimate and ability cost. You’ll be more resistant to spells and can resurrect players faster. We recommend using the DPS or Tank build.

Nightblade Werewolf

Although Nightblades are a sneaky class, they work well as werewolves because of the high sustain. Passive skills give Health, Stamina, and Magicka recovery plus an extra recovery of Magicka and Stamina—which is what matters for werewolves — when killing an enemy within two seconds of attacking them. We recommend this class for the Solo and Tank build.

Dragonknight Werewolf

Dragonknights are the perfect tank werewolves because of their block mitigation bonus and spell resistance plus extra poison and burning damage. Finally, the Battle Roar passive skill replenishes your character’s Health and Stamina when transforming.

Necromancer Werewolf

The Necromancer class can work well with players who wish to follow the werewolf DPS build as this class’ passives can increase their damage, and max health, and restore Magicka and Stamina. You won’t benefit from these passives as a werewolf, however.

Warden Werewolf

Wardens don’t have many passives that align with the werewolf build and give less damage compared to the other classes already mentioned. The Maturation passive skill can help your friends by increasing their maximum health, but otherwise, we recommend following another build for this class or the werewolf DPS build.

Arcanist Werewolf

Arcanists have some passives that would benefit a werewolf such as extra weapon damage and Magicka and Stamina recovery bonus but this class depends on the Crux mechanic to work well in battle and you can’t use that mechanic while in werewolf form. Because of that, we don’t recommend building an Arcanist werewolf.