Stamina Dragonknight DPS Build
Stamina Dragonknight DPS builds can seem complex, but once you have the rotation down you will find that they actually deal some of the highest damage around. With great options for sustained damage over time on top of high burst damage, Stamina Dragonknight DPS builds are great for melee-range damage.
Gear Sets
Perfected Arms of Relequen: A tried and true bruiser set that adds a ton of damage. You can get this from Cloudrest, but if you aren't ready for trials yet, consider Aegis Caller from Unhallowed Grave for very similar damage.
Runecarver's Blaze: This set allows you to make the most of your damage over time effects, which Dragonknights use in spades. You can get this from Scrivener's Hall.
Zaan's: This is the best monster set in the game for Dragonknights, providing a really massive amount of damage from both the set and the extra burning it provides. You can get this from Scalecaller Peak.
Maelstrom Bow: This is one of the best weapons in the game, allowing you to deal massive damage with Endless Hail. You can get this from Maelstrom Arena.
Skills
Molten Whip: Your main spammable which is one of the strongest in the game, and is boosted by using other Ardent Flame abilities before it. However, if you cannot sustain its Magicka cost, you can switch to Stone Fist or Rapid Strikes.
Flames of Oblivion: Try to keep this up at all times, and do not reactivate it too early or you will miss out on the final burst of damage. Provides Major Savagery, meaning we don't need to use potions for this.
Noxious Breath: A nice area damage over time ability that also provides the valuable Major Breach debuff.
Whirling Blades: This is your execute ability which should be spammed once the enemy hits around 25% health.
Barbed Trap: Your source of Minor Force. If you are getting this buff from someone in your group, you can switch this to a more powerful DoT if you wish.
Dawnbreaker of Smiting: You don't need to use this ultimate since Standard of Might is far more powerful. It is just here so we get the Slayer passive from the Fighter's Guild for more damage.
Unstable Wall of Fire: We have gone with a staff on this build because the extra burning and fire damage goes a long way on a Dragonknight. However, you can use Endless Hail with a bow if you wish.
Eruption: This is a very high damage ability that costs Magicka over time rather than up-front, making your resource economy more efficient.
Degeneration: This is your source of Major Brutality, which is an essential damage buff. Be sure to keep this up at all times.
Venomous Claw: A nice damage over time ability that has the added benefit of dealing more damage the lower the target's health.
Razor Caltrops: This deals great damage in its own right, but also provides the Major Breach debuff in a wide area, which all your group members can benefit from as well.
Standard of Might: Potentially one of the strongest ultimates in the game, this deals very high damage over its duration, boosts your own damage and survivability, and even allows your allies to activate a synergy for a nice burst of damage.
Champion Points
Fighting Finesse: A welcome addition to your critical damage output that will help you get up to the 125% crit damage cap. If you are exceeding this cap in your group, choose a different perk like Wrathful Strikes.
Thaumaturge: Damage in The Elder Scrolls Online is measured in how much damage you do per second over the duration of a fight, and stacking damage over time effects is the way to increase this. Thaumaturge will boost that damage type.
Master at Arms: An essential boost to one of the primary damage types that all DPS use - direct damage. This is important on almost any DPS build in ESO.
Biting Aura: An important addition to this build that will boost the power of your area abilities substantially, which is where this class really shines.
Boundless Vitality: Every bit of health makes a difference, especially in some of the tougher content that The Elder Scrolls Online has to offer. This will help you bump yours up a little more, increasing your survivability.
Bloody Renewal: A powerful buff that allows you to restore stamina every time you slay an enemy. This shines best in boss fights with adds, or when facing many non-boss enemies.
Rejuvenation: Recoveries are important for every role. For healers, it is essential for keeping your group alive, for tanks, it is the source of most of your buffs and debuffs, for DPS, you can't deal damage with no fuel, and in PvP, no resources means death.
Celerity: Extra movement speed is an amazing boost in all content. In PvE, it helps massively with avoiding nasty mechanics, and in PvP, it allows you to run circles around your opponents.
Mundus Stone
The go-to Mundus Stone for any DPS is the Thief. It is very rare that you will reach the optimal critical chance numbers without the Thief unless you are specifically building for it, which isn't ideal. a
Food Buff
The Lava Foot Soup and Saltrice food buff is the absolute best option for stamina DPS across all classes, offering the best spread of Max Stamina and Stamina Recovery. However, if you are in content that needs more Max Health, try the Dubious Camoran Throne or Artaeum Takeaway Broth instead.
Race
The best race to use for this build is a Dark Elf (Dunmer). If you struggle to reach the crit damage cap of 125%, then a Khajiit is your best option instead.
Potion
Having built-in access to Major Brutality and Major Savagery means you don't need to run weapon power potions. Instead, you should run Heroism potions, granting Minor Heroism along with Magicka and Stamina return for a lengthy duration.
Mortality
Most Stamina DPS characters already have to work extra hard on survivability, and being susceptible to fire damage on top of high skill cost will make you a liability. Therefore, Vampirism is not recommended, and a werewolf offers no benefit. Stick to being a Mortal.
Notes
Notes go here