MMORPGs are all about accessories and items these days. A big part of the fun is getting that shiny plate, slick leather, or flowing robes and looking good, and Elder Scrolls Online caters to this whim generously. Players can craft their own armor from scratch or modify existing pieces that drop. Weapon Sets are a combination of weapons and jewelry and are equipped in a slightly different way than armor sets.
Since these sets consist of a limited number of items, the goal is to mix and match for the best combination. That being the case, players will find that several Weapon Sets only consist of two or three pieces. As with other items in ESO, these items are of higher quality or have extra abilities if they are Perfected, or acquired while completing a task on Veteran difficulty. Here are a few of the best weapons in ESO, along with some clues on how and when to equip them.
Updated February 27, 2023, by Kristy Ambrose: There have been a lot of changes to Tamriel, with new expansions, quests, and gear available as Zenimax Studios continues to release new content. Existing weapon sets have been tweaked and improved, and many are now part of larger sets that also include armor and accessories. The places where they drop or the recipes to craft them have also expanded, which includes new Veteran level quests, dungeons, and other tasks. In response to the continuing evolution of ESO, the list of the best weapon sets available has expanded, and it's not always about what does the most damage, either.
13 The Adept Rider
- Location: Craftable
- Buffs and Benefits: Major Gallop, which increases mounted speed, and Major Expedition, which increases movement speed. Both require five pieces.
- Expansion, Update, or DLC Required: Summerset
The major advantage of crafted sets is that virtually every kind of weapon or armor is available, and which one the player makes is entirely up to them. From the greatsword to the stave, every player can take their pick. It's possible to craft items of higher quality as long as the right materials are available and the player's skill level is high enough. The set can be crafted in light, heavy, or medium armor if those pieces are needed, but there's plenty for those that would prefer a weapon set.
Accessories include rings and necklaces for those that prefer agility over protection. The set gives armor buffs at two and three pieces, then a health buff at four, followed by the movement buffs upon reaching five. Not bad for a set that's not intended for combat.
12 Disciplined Slash
- Location: Asylum Sanctorium
- Buffs and Benefits: Buffs the skills Executioner, Reverse Slash, and Reverse Slice. Perfected versions also give a boost to Stamina.
- Expansion, Update, or DLC Required: Clockwork City
There are a total of three two-handed weapons that make up this set. These are some of the best weapons in ESO and the player can choose between a battleax, a maul, or a greatsword. The Reverse Slash ability generates up to 12 Ultimate based on how much Execute Bonus damage was dealt when the weapon was last used.
Only players with the Clockwork City DLC will be able to access the Saint's Mercy Quest, which players get automatically upon entering the Asylum Sanctorium trial, provided they haven't already completed the quest that week. Pieces of the set can be found in the Beautified Coffer as the reward for defeating all three bosses; Saint Felms, Saint Llothis, and Saint Olms.
11 Wrath of the Elements Set
- Location: Vateshran Hollows
- Buffs and Benefits: The spell Weakness To Elements triggers an AoE tethering effect that causes all the enemies in a 50-foot radius to take extra elemental damage.
- Expansion, Update, or DLC Required: Markarth
This one is a two-piece weapon set, which in the world of Elder Scrolls Online means a choice of two-handed weapons. In this case, the set is designed and intended for a caster, so the player gets their choice of Destruction staves.
With both of them equipped, magic users get a major buff to their Weakness to Elements spell. Choose from fire, lightning, or frost. Should the weapon be of Perfected quality, there's a generous Penetration bonus.
10 Chaotic Whirlwind
- Location: Asylum Sanctorium
- Buffs and Benefits: The ability to cast Whirlwind, a Dual Wield skill, to envelop the character with a Whirlwind for 6 seconds.
- Expansion, Update, or DLC Required: Clockwork City
This weapon set consists of a variety of one-handed choices, so it's intended for a character that is built on a high Dual-Wielding ability. Players can choose from any combination of dagger, sword, mace, or ax. This is another example of a set that players can get from the Saint's Beautified Coffer in the Asylum Sanctorium trial, hence the High quality of the items. Players don't have to finish the trial on Veteran difficulty in order to acquire the normal version of this set.
The whirlwind effect strikes three random enemies within a five-meter radius every second, deals up to 2675 physical damage, and has a 10-second cooldown. Get the Perfected version for up to +666 to the Weapon Critical.
9 Endurance Set
- Location: Random daily dungeon reward
- Buffs and Benefits: Equipping two items provides a bonus of +1928 Max Health, and the full set of three also offers a +618 bonus to overall health recovery.
- Expansion, Update, or DLC Required: Markarth
Despite the fact that this is a fairly common, low-quality set, it's an ideal choice for those that value customization options because it includes a choice of almost every weapon and accessory available. The set is designed and intended for tanks; however, virtually any character can benefit from this generous health buff.
The options include a greatsword, an ax, a staff, and a bow, plus a shield, two rings, and a neckpiece. That's one of ESO's best greatswords and also one of the best sword and shield sets.
The Endurance Set is one of the rewards players can get from completing activities in the random daily dungeon, a feature in ESO's Activity Finder. These are daily quests that can only be completed every 24 hours. If the player completes the quests in Veteran mode, they get an Epic version of the item, which is essential for a Perfected set. A Superior quality-level item is rewarded for completing the same quest in Normal mode.
8 Point Blank Snipe Set
- Location: Vateshran Hollows
- Buffs and Benefits: The Perfected version grants a 103 to both Weapon and Spell damage.
- Expansion, Update, or DLC Required: Markarth
The Point Blank Snipe Set isn't just one of the best ESO weapon sets for archers. It's a two-piece weapon set that consists only of a bow, which takes two hands to wield, and also includes some bonuses and abilities that benefit magic users as well as fighters.
It's an ideal set for ranged damage dealers whether they're magic users or archers. The normal version of the bow still grants a damage buff to the Snipe ability depending on one's distance from the target.
7 Mender's Ward
- Location: Blackrose Prison
- Buffs and Benefits: When the Steadfast Ward skill is used, it applies Major Vitality to the target for 4 seconds and gives the healing taken with a +16% bonus.
- Expansion, Update, or DLC Required: Murkmire
The Mender's Ward set consists of a single two-handed weapon; in this case, a staff of low quality. However, it's one of the best weapons in ESO for healers but any character with sufficient skill to wield a Staff will find the buffs useful.
The Perfected version of this set grants a bonus of up to +103 Magicka recovery. The perks are solid for a basic healing build no matter what level of quality is equipped.
6 Rampaging Slash
- Location: The Maelstrom Arena
- Buffs and Benefits: When players deal damage with Low Slash, their next fully-charged Heavy Attack within 5 seconds will restore an additional 1904 of both Magicka and Stamina. The Perfected version of this set grants an additional +77 bonus to both Magicka and Stamina Recovery.
- Expansion, Update, or DLC Required: Orsinium
There are four one-handed weapons plus a shield that make up this set, and the player can choose from the Maelstrom's Axe, the Maelstrom's Mace, the Maelstrom's Sword, or the Maelstrom's Dagger to go along with the Maelstrom's Shield. This is one of ESO's best sword and shield sets.
Tanks like Rampaging Slash, but it's also decent for healers and casters thanks to the wide range of buffs. This set is one of the most difficult to acquire in ESO and the high quality of the items reflects how hard it is to get. It drops from the final boss in the Maelstrom Arena, a progressive, solo challenge that players have to complete at the Veteran level.
5 Spectral Cloak
- Location: Blackrose Prison
- Buffs and Benefits: The Spectral Cloak ability gives players an increase in damage done and a decrease in damage taken.
- Expansion, Update, or DLC Required: Murkmire
The Spectral Cloak set is ideal for any character with an affinity for Stealth, and any activity related to this skill. This is a unique weapon set because it doesn't grant bonuses to the weapon damage or Magicka regeneration, but grants a defensive ability instead. Characters that have at least 20 in the Dual Wield skill can unlock an ability called Blade Cloak. When this ability is activated, with the set equipped, the player also gets a buff called Spectral Cloak.
This is a two-handed set, but not because it features two-handed weapons. Instead, the Spectral Cloak set consists of a choice of four one-handed weapons; a dagger, ax, mace, or sword, and players must dual-wield two of them in order to get the set's benefits.
4 Cruel Flurry
- Location: The Maelstrom Arena
- Buffs and Benefits: Flurry, a Dual-Wield skill, applies a damage-over-time effect within the next four seconds and gets a +1690 bonus to both spell and weapon damage.
- Expansion, Update, or DLC Required: Orsinium
This is another weapon set that's designed for Dual-Wielding, so it consists of a variety of high-quality one-handed choices. Players are meant to choose any two depending on their specific build. The choices available include a dagger, sword, mace, or ax.
The Perfected version of this set will give players an additional +103 bonus to weapon damage, so it's even better for a Stamina-based DPS character. This is another set that's only available to players who complete the solo challenge of the Maelstrom Arena at the Veteran level.