Dragonknights in The Elder Scrolls Online are the hard-hitting, fire-wielding, rock-shielding face of the Tanking role. Typically, Dragonknights stay away from Support roles in favor of DPS and of course Tanking. However, some of their skills can give good buffs and decent healing to a party. Though they are one of the more limited classes, they are mighty nonetheless.
Dragonknights tend to favor Stamina over Magicka as a resource, but it's not a set-in-stone rule. Many players choose a blend of both resources. Heavy Armor sets tend to be the most useful for Dragonknights in The Elder Scrolls Online, mostly for their high defensive bonuses and the incredibly useful front-line abilities they grant.
Updated January 26, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: Dragonknights are a class that tends to favor martial, physical damage in melee range, but this isn't always the case. Sets like Hunding's Rage can be useful for almost every DPS-oriented Dragonknight build. That isn't to say there aren't plenty of sets that are tailor-made for close-range bruisers – for instance, the Ashen Grip set is really only useful for players constantly dealing damage to nearby enemies. Every armor set comes with unique set bonuses based on the number of items equipped. Two, three, and four-item bonuses tend to be passive boosts to specific stats, while full set bonuses often give players new abilities to activate. Before committing to a set, make sure you have the correct DLC or crafting aptitude to be able to get one of these sets in the first place.
7 Hunding's Rage - Craftable
- Two Pieces: Adds 657 Critical Hit Chance
- Three Pieces: Increases Max Stamina by 1096
- Four Pieces: Adds 657 Critical Hit Chance
- Full Set Bonus: Increases both Weapon and Spell Damage by 300
The Hunding's Rage set is one of the most popular armor sets for a variety of Elder Scrolls Online builds thanks to its simplistic yet very powerful bonuses. With two and four pieces equipped the set grants 657 Critical Chance each for a total of 1314 Critical Hit Chance, while the three-piece bonus increases Max Stamina by 1096.
The full set bonus for the Hunding's Rage set simply increases Weapon and Spell Damage by 300. Most armor sets in Elder Scrolls Online that increase Weapon and Spell Damage typically only add 129, and if you're lucky they might give this bonus twice. Instead, the Hunding's Rage set focuses on Critical Hit Chance for its partial bonuses and adds more Weapon and Spell Damage than any other armor set, both increasing the chance to do more damage and increasing damage output outright.
Where To Craft The Hunding's Rage Set
The Hunding's Rage set can be crafted at the Broken Arch in southern Reaper's March, the Trollslayer Gulley in the southern part of The Rift, or the Wether's Cleft in east-of-center Bangkorai.
6 Ashen Grip - Craftable
- Two Pieces: Increases Max Health by 1206
- Three Pieces: Adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage
- Four Pieces: Adds 657 Critical Hit Chance
- Full Set Bonus: Dealing melee damage causes the player to breathe fire in a cone, dealing 774 Fire Damage. This can trigger every 4 seconds.
The Ashen Grip armor set is a reliable armor set for Dragonknights either taking on group content as a DPS or going at it on their own as a solo player. Two pieces equipped increases Max Health by 1206, three pieces adds 129 Weapon and Spell Damage, and four pieces equipped adds 657 Critical Hit Chance – all abilities that a DPS and a survivalist can make good use of.
The full set bonus causes players to breathe fire every time they deal melee damage (but no more than every four seconds). The ability itself is not particularly powerful clocking in at only 774 Fire Damage, but because it can trigger over and over again, 15 times each minute, this paltry sum adds up over the course of drawn-out battles that Trial players and soloers are all too familiar with.
How To Get The Ashen Grip Set
The Ashen Grip armor set is a craftable set that can be made at crafting tables throughout base game zones. Find them at Beacon Falls in northern Auridon, at Par Molag in northern Glenumbra, and in the Magma Flow Overlook just north of the Deshaan border in the Stonefalls.
5 False God's Devotion - Light Armor, Jewelry, Weapons
- Two Pieces: Adds 657 Spell Critical Chance
- Three Pieces: Grants the Minor Slayer buff, which increases damage to dungeon, trial, and arena enemies
- Four Pieces: Adds 657 Spell Critical Chance
- Full Set Bonus: Reduces the cost of all Magicka-related skills by 8%, restores 2454 Magicka and increases movement speed by 30% when tagged enemies die
The False God's Devotion set is a Magicka-enhancing armor set. Its full effect is extremely useful for taking on group content as a DPS Dragonknight. Dragonknights have a few decent ways to get around the battlefield, particularly the Dragon Leap ability; however, they are usually a bit slower than other classes.
The False God's Devotion buff can make handling a big group of enemies a little bit easier, as it procs when the creature dies, not when the Dragonknight makes the last hit. As a Light Armor set, it can make Tanking a bit rough if the party healer can't keep up, so be sure to queue up as a DPS.
How To Get The False God's Devotion Set
Look for the pieces to the False God's Devotion set in the Sunspire Trial, which requires the Elsweyr DLC for non-ESO+ members, where it drops off the Trial's bosses.
4 Mother's Sorrow - Light Armor, Jewelry, Weapons
- Two Pieces: Adds 1096 Spell Critical Chance
- Three Pieces: Increases Max Magicka by 1096
- Four Pieces: Adds 1096 Spell Critical Chance
- Full Set Bonus: Adds a further 1528 Spell Critical Chance
Another set for Dragonknights that focuses on Magicka, the Mother's Sorrow armor set grants buffs to Max Magicka as well as Spell Critical Chance. However, because it's a Light Armor set, it's not the most optimal choice for Dragonknights who plan to Tank.
A Dragonknight playing both a damage and support role, though, can make use of the Light Armor skill tree bonuses. Pair it with a Destruction Staff in the other weapon bar to make for a surprisingly effective hybrid of damage and healing.
How To Get The Mother's Sorrow Set
To find the pieces to the Mother's Sorrow set, complete content in Deshaan in the overworld, delves, dungeons, and other content.
3 Zaan - Light, Medium, Heavy Armor
- One Piece: Adds 657 Spell Critical Chance
- Two Pieces: Grants a 33% chance to spawn a Beam of Fire that connects the player to their target. If the player and their target are within 8 meters of each other, they receive 305 Flame Damage every second for six seconds, doubling in power every second
The Zaan armor set is a monster set, meaning it only has two pieces in the form of a Helm and a Shoulder piece. The Zaan armor set is a must-have for DPS Dragonknights – that constant stream of damage to a nearby target is incredibly useful for this typically low-mobility front-line class.
Plus, it scales off of either Weapon or Spell Damage. This way, even Dragonknights who aren't specced into Spell Critical can still make full use of this ability.
How To Get The Mother's Sorrow Set
How To Get The Zaan Set
The Zaan armor set Helm drops from Scalecaller Peak's final boss on Veteran mode. Meanwhile, find the Shoulder piece in Urgalarg Chief-Bane's Chest. Both are guaranteed drops.
2 Ebon Armory - Heavy Armor, Jewelry, Weapons
- Two Pieces: Increases Max Health by 1206
- Three Pieces: Boosts Healing Received by 4%
- Four Pieces: Increases Max Health by 1206
- Full Set Bonus: All group members receive a 1000-point increase to Max Health, including the wearer
The Ebon Armory set is not the most complex armor set in The Elder Scrolls Online, but neither is it the most useless. It is a great go-to choice for Dragonknight Tanks for its Health and Healing bonuses, as well as a party-wide buff it grants.
For Tanks in groups, the full set effect is incredibly powerful. However, even just having two or three pieces equipped (in Jewelry or Weapons) gives such a good bonus to Max Health that it's hard to pass up.
How To Get The Ebon Armory Set
Players can find the Ebon Armory set in the Crypt of Hearts dungeons, in both Part One and Part Two, as drops from monsters and bosses.
1 Iceheart - Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor
- One Piece: Adds 657 Spell Critical Chance
- Two Pieces: Critical Hits gain a 20% chance to create a shield that absorbs 5000 Damage and pulses for 259 Frost Damage every second over its six-second duration
The Iceheart armor set is, like the Zaan set, a monster set with only two pieces – a Helmet and a Shoulder Piece. Players can acquire these monster sets through Undaunted progression. They are available in any of the three armor types, allowing for full customization in terms of build.
The shield can take 5000 damage before breaking, all the while damaging enemies in a five-meter radius every second. This is a fantastic armor set for Dragonknight Tanks thanks to its self-sustain capabilities, but it's also a great set for any Dragonknight player who wants to up their survivability.
How To Get The Iceheart Set
Players can find the Iceheart monster set's Helm in Direfrost Keep in Eastmarch on Veteran mode. Meanwhile, find the Shoulder piece in Gilirion the Redbeard's chest.
The Elder Scrolls Online is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.