The Vanguard is a tanky light armor Necromancer build designed to dive into combat head first, flatten your opponents with it’s massive burst while still being able to withstand a lot of incoming damage.
Setup
Race
The optimal race for this build is Breton because of it’s passive Magicka Regen, it’s Magicka abilities cost reduction and it’s Max Magicka increase. All three of these passives can help you to stay in the fight longer, putting constant pressure on your target or help you keep heals coming out. The spell resistance is very good also. If you are an experienced player, good with your resource management or you just want more damage, High Elf and Dark Elf race can also be used.
Mundus
We are using The Lover mundus stone because it is the biggest damage increase you can get from a mundus and it helps increase the damage of our main ultimate, Dawnbreaker of Smiting.
Skills
Note: The ultimate ability on the Back Bar (Sword & Shield bar) can be replaced with Spell Wall as well.
Passives
Grave Lord Necromancer
All Passives
Bone Tyrant Necromancer
All Passives
Living Death Necromancer
All Passives
Light Armor Armor
All Passives
Medium Armor Armor
All Passives
Heavy Armor Armor
All Passives
Destruction Staff Weapons
All Passives
One Hand & Shield Weapons
All Passives
Fighters Guild Guilds
Unlock only Slayer, Banish the Wicked and Skilled Tracker.
Mages Guild Guilds
Unlock only Everlasting Magic, Magicka Controller and Might of the Guild
Undaunted Guilds
All Passives
Assault Alliance War
All Passives
Support Alliance War
Unlock only Combat Medic and Battle Resurrection.
Racial Character
All Passives
Alchemy Crafting
Unlock only Medicinal Use
Gear
Divines
Magicka
light
Divines
Magicka
light
Divines
Magicka
heavy
Divines
Magicka
light
Divines
Magicka
light
Divines
Magicka
medium
Divines
Magicka
light
Harmony
Spell Damage
Harmony
Spell Damage
Harmony
Spell Damage
Sharpened
Weapon Damage ( Berserker ) / Escapist Poison
Front Bar
Defending
Weakening / Absorb Stamina
Reinforced / Sturdy
Magicka
Back Bar
Consumables
Artaeum Pickled Fish Bowl
Food
We use Artaeum Pickled Fish Bowl because it gives the most Max Magicka and Health for a dual stat food.
Potions
We use two types of potions on this build:
- Essence of Magicka for Magicka, Stamina Regen and minor herosim (dragon’s blood / dragon rheum / columbine).
- Essense of Detection for Major Sorcery, Detection and Magicka and if you aren’t using Degeneration (cornflower / wormwood / lady’s smock).
Tri-stat potions also work (columbine / bugloss / mountain flower).
Champion Points
Craft (0) 
Warfare (700) 
Fitness (787) Increases your damage done with area of effect attacks by 2% per stage.
BONUS
10% damage done
Grants 33 Weapon and Spell Damage to your damaging abilities per stage.
BONUS
165 Weapon and Spell Damage
Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by 3 per stage.
BONUS
150 Weapon and Spell Damage
Increases Max Magicka by 26 per stage.
BONUS
1300 Max Magicka
Increases Max Magicka by 26 per stage.
BONUS
1300 Max Magicka
Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by 3 per stage.
BONUS
150 Weapon and Spell Damage
Grants 160 Critical Chance per stage.
BONUS
640 Critical Chance
Grants 33 Weapon and Spell Damage to your damaging abilities per stage.
BONUS
165 Weapon and Spell Damage
Grants 260 Max Magicka per stage.
BONUS
1040 Max Magicka
Increases your Healing Done by 1% per stage.
BONUS
4% Healing Done
Grants 260 Max Stamina per stage.
BONUS
1040 Max Stamina Extended Might
Grants 350 Offensive Penetration per stage.
BONUS
1400 Offensive Penetration Extended Might
Increases your chance to apply a Magical status effect by 30% per stage.
BONUS
60% increased chance Extended Might
Increases your chance to apply a Martial status effect by 30% per stage.
BONUS
60% increased chance Extended Might
Grants 100 Weapon and Spell Damage to Magical attacks.
Affects Magic, Flame, Frost, and Shock Damage.
Extended Might
Grants 100 Weapon and Spell Damage to Martial attacks.
Affects Physical, Poison, Disease, and Bleed Damage.
Increases your damage done with area of effect attacks by 2% per stage.
BONUS
10% damage done Staving Death
Increases your Healing Taken by 1% per stage.
BONUS
4% Healing Taken Staving Death
Reduces the damage you take from Magical attacks by 1% per stage.
ffects Magic, Flame, Frost, and Shock Damage.
BONUS
4% damage reduction Staving Death
Reduces the damage you take from Martial attacks by 1% per stage.
Affects Physical, Poison, Disease, and Bleed Damage.
BONUS
4% damage reduction Staving Death
Reduces your damage taken from non-player attacks by 2% per stage.
BONUS
20% damage reduction Increases Magicka and Health Recovery while under the effects of Crowd Control Immunity by 40 per stage.
BONUS
200 Health and Magicka Recovery
While under the effects of Crowd Control Immunity, you take 2% less damage per stage.
BONUS
10% damage reduction
Grants 3 Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery per stage.
BONUS
150 Health, Magicka and Stamina Recovery
While afflicted with a Status Effect, your core combat skills cost 5% less per stage.
BONUS
25% cost reduction
Grants 3 Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery per stage.
BONUS
150 Health, Magicka and Stamina Recovery
Reduces the cost of Roll Dodge by 120 Stamina per stage.
BONUS
360 cost reduction
Reduces the cost of Break Free by 110 Stamina per stage.
BONUS
440 cost reduction
While under the effects of Crowd Control Immunity, you take 2% less damage per stage.
BONUS
10% damage reduction
Increases Magicka and Health Recovery while under the effects of Crowd Control Immunity by 40 per stage.
BONUS
200 Health and Magicka Recovery
Reduces the duration of Elemental Status Effects applied to you by 5% per stage.
BONUS
25% reduced duration
Reduces the cost of Sprint by 20 Stamina per stage.
BONUS
80 cost reduction
Increases your movement speed when Sprinting by 2% per stage.
BONUS
8% Movement speed
Grants 280 Max Health per stage.
BONUS
1120 Max Health
Increases your Stealth Detection by 1 meter per stage.
BONUS
3 meters
While afflicted with a Status Effect, your core combat skills cost 5% less per stage.
BONUS
25% cost reduction
Return to life after resurrection with 5% more resources per stage.
BONUS
25% more resources
Reduces the cost of Block by 20 Stamina per stage.
BONUS
80 Block cost reduction
Increases the amount of damage you can block by 2% per stage.
BONUS
6% Block mitigation
Increases your Movement Speed while Bracing by 3% per stage.
BONUS
15% Movement speed
Reduces the cost of Bash by 45 Stamina per stage.
BONUS
135 cost reduction
Increases your Bash damage by 60 per stage.
BONUS
240 increased damage Recommended Slottable stars:
- Steed’s Blessing
- Gifted Rider
- Liquid Efficiency
- Rationer
The only necessary passive star is Breakfall.
This build can also be viewed in the UESP Build editor here.
Akinos is a streamer on Twitch and content creator on YouTube. He's an experienced PvP MMO player who played many different MMOs over the years, and has been focusing on ESO for the past 6. He's extremely experienced at small-scale and Solo PvP, as well as organized group PvP. He is known as one of the best Magicka Necromancer players on PC NA and ESO as a whole. His channels have high-quality footage at 1440p as well!
