The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind | Guide to The Warden Class

The Warden is ESO’s first new class since its launch. From healing to tanking to damage, this class can do everything and it can do it well. The Animal Companions tree focuses on summoning creatures to assault the enemy while Green Balance summons heals and boons from nature, allowing the Warden to keep their teammates alive and tanks healed. If neither healing nor DPS suits your playstyle, Warden’s third tree Winter’s Embrace manipulates the weather to create defensive barriers creating an ice-based tank.

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Animal Companions Skill Line

Interested in throwing a barrage of different animal abilities at your foes? The Animal Companions skill line is a DPS focused branch that will have you doing just that.

Active Abilities

• Dive – Command a Cliff Racer to dive bomb the enemy, dealing Magic Damage.
  • Cutting Dive – Cliff Racer’s now deal physical damage. Costs Stamina instead of Magicka.
• Scorch – Stir a group of Shalk that attack after 3 seconds. Dealing Magic Damage to up to 6 enemies in front of you.
  • Deep Fissure – Causes an eruption to stun an enemy.
  • Subterranean Assault – Shalk’s now deal poison damage. Enemies damaged are afflicted with Major Breach and Major Fracture, reducing their Spell Resistance and Physical Resistance for 10 seconds. Costs Stamina instead of Magicka.
• Swarm – Unleash a swarm of Fetcherflies to relentlessly attack an enemy, dealing Magic Damage over 10 seconds.
  • Fletcher Infection – Every other cast deals 75% additional damage.
  • Growing Swarm – When ability ends, fetcherflies infect up to 6 new targets within 10 meters.
• Betty Netch – Call a Betty Netch that restores Magicka over 22 seconds. Gain Major Sorcery, increasing Spell Damage by 20% over 24 seconds. This ability has no cost.
  • Blue Betty – Now restores Magicka over 25 seconds. Major Sorcery now lasts for 27 seconds. When activated, removes 1 negative effect. This ability has no cost.
  • Bull Netch – Call a Bull Netch that restores Stamina over 25 seconds. Grants Major Brutality, increasing weapon damage by 20% over 27 seconds, and Major Sorcery, increasing Spell Damage by 20% over 27 seconds. This ability has no cost.
• Falcon’s Swiftness – Invoke the spirit of agility to gain Major Expedition, increasing movement speed by 30% for 10 seconds and Major Endurance, increasing stamina recovery by 20% for 10 seconds.
  • Bird of Prey – Gain minor Berserk, increasing damage done by 8% over 10 seconds.
  • Deceptive Predator – Gain Minor Evasion, increasing dodge chance by 5% for 10 seconds.

Passive Abilities

• Bond With Nature – When one of your animal companions is killed or unsummoned, you are restored Health.
• Savage Beast – Damaging an enemy with an Animal Companions ability grants 4 Ultimate. This effect has a cooldown of 8 seconds.
• Flourish – Increases your Magicka and Stamina recovery by 12% if an Animal Companions ability is slotted.
• Advanced Species – Increases your damage of Animal Companions abilities by 2% for each Animal Companion ability slotted.

Ultimate Ability

• Feral Guardian – Rouse a loyal grizzly to fight at your side. The grizzly’s swipe deals Magic Damage. Once summoned, you can activate Guardian’s Wrath for 75 ultimate. Causes Magic Damage and deals 100% additional damage to targets under 25% health. The grizzly’s attacks do an additional 12% damage.
  • Wild Guardian – Now causes Physical Damage and deals 100% additional damage to targets under 25% health. The grizzly’s attacks do an additional 21% damage.
  • Eternal Guardian – When killed the bear will now automatically respawn, with a cooldown of 1 minute. Causes Magic Damage and deals 100% additional damage to targets under 25% health. The grizzly’s attacks do an additional 21% damage.

Green Balance Skill Line

Those looking to keep their allies and themselves alive should consider the Green Balance skill line. This AoE Healing focused branch will be sure to make you lots of friends.

Active Abilities

• Fungal Growth – Seed a large area of mushrooms that heals you and six allies in your frontal cone.
  • Enchanted Growth – Allies affected gain Minor Intellect and Minor Endurance, increasing Magicka and Stamina regeneration by 10% for 20 seconds.
  • Soothing Spores – If healing an ally less than 8m away, it is 15% stronger. Ability Scales off max Stamina and Weapon Damage. Costs Stamina instead of Magicka.
• Healing Seed – Summon a field of flowers which blooms after 6 seconds, healing 6 targets in the area. Only 1 field may be active at a time. Allies may activate the Healing Seed synergy to heal over 5 seconds.
  • Corrupting Pollen – Afflict enemies who enter the field with Major Defile, reducing healing received by 37% for 4 seconds. Allies may activate the synergy to heal over 5 seconds.
  • Budding Seeds – While the field grows, you can activate this ability to make the bloom instant. Allies may activate the synergy to heal over 5 seconds.
• Living Vines – Grow vines to embrace you or the lowest health ally in front of you for 10 seconds. The vines heal the target each time they take damage. This effect can occur once every 1 second.
  • Leeching Vines – The vines apply Minor Lifesteal to enemies that damage the target for 10 seconds, healing you and your allies every 1 second when damaging that enemy.
  • Living Trellis – When the vines expire, they heal the target an additional amount.
• Lotus Flower – Embrace the lotus blessing, causing Light Attack to restore Health and your Heavy Attack to restore Health to you or a nearby ally for 17 seconds.
  • Green Lotus – Caster gains Major Savagery, increasing Weapon Critical for 20 seconds.
  • Lotus Blossom – Caster gains Major Prophecy, increasing Spell Critical for 20 seconds.
• Nature’s Grasp – Swing to targeted ally, healing them over 10 seconds.
  • Nature’s Embrace – Now heals you as well.
  • Bursting Vines – Now instantly heals.

Passive Abilities

• Accelerated Growth – When healing you or an ally under 50% Health with a Green Balance ability gain Major Mending, increasing your healing done by 25% for 6 seconds.
• Nature’s Gift – When healing with a Green Balance ability, gain Magicka or Stamina. Restores your lowest resource pool.
• Emerald Moss – Increase Healing Done for Green Balance abilities by 2% for each Green Balance ability slotted.
• Maturation – When healing you or an ally with a Green Balance ability, grant them Minor Toughness, which increases Max Health by 10% for 20 seconds.

Ultimate Ability

• Secluded Grove – Instantly swell a healing forest around you or an ally, restoring health to 6 targets. The forest continues to heal you and all allies in the area every 1 second over 6 seconds.
  • Healing Thicket – When effect ends, allies continue to receive healing over 4 seconds.
  • Enchanted Forest – Gain 20 Ultimate if healing an ally under 50% Health.

Winter’s Embrace Skill Line

If getting in the face of an enemy is more your, thing then the Winter’s Embrace skill line is for you. This cold based Tanking branch will get you invited back to groups.

Active Abilities

• Frost Cloak – Wrap a thick cloak of ice around you and nearby allies. 6 targets gain Major Resolve, increasing Physical Resistance, and Major Ward, increasing Spell Resistance for 21 seconds.
  • Expansive Frost Cloak – Lower Magicka cost, now lasts 24 seconds.
  • Ice Fortress – You gain Minor Protection, reducing incoming damage by 8% for 24 seconds.
• Arctic Wind – Envelop yourself in winter winds, healing for 10% of max Health instantly and an additional 2% Health every 2 seconds over 10 seconds.
  • Polar Wind – Heals a nearby ally for 10% of your Max Health.
  • Arctic Blast – Enemies in the area will take Frost Damage every 2 seconds over 10 seconds.
• Impaling Shards – Skewer enemies with icy shards, dealing Frost Damage in the area to 6 targets every second over 12 seconds and reducing Movement Speed by 30% for 3 seconds. Damage done is based on your Max Health.
  • Gripping Shards – On cast, enemies in the area also become immobilized for 3 seconds.
  • Winter’s Revenge – Lower Magicka cost, greatly increased area.
• Crystallized Shield – Spin a shield of ice around you to absorb projectiles. Each absorb restores Magicka. Shield breaks after 3 projectiles.
  • Crystallized Slab – On each successful absorption, a projectile is sent back to the enemy up to 28 meters away for Frost Damage.
  • Shimmering Shield – On each successful absorb, you gain Major Heroism, increasing Ultimate gain by 3 every 1.5 seconds for 6 seconds.
• Frozen Gate – Summon an ancient portal. Enemies that run over it are teleported to you and rooted for 3 seconds. You can only have 1 portal at a time and it is removed upon activation.
  • Frozen Device – Teleported enemy is afflicted with Major Maim, reducing their damage by 30% for 4 seconds. Now lasts 3 seconds.
  • Frozen Retreat – An ally can activate the Frozen Retreat synergy to move to you.

Passive Abilities

• Glacial Presence – Increase chance of applying Chilled to enemies with Winter’s Embrace abilities by 200%.
• Frozen Armor – Increases your Physical and Spell Resistance by 500 for each Winter’s Embrace ability slotted.
• Ice Aura – Reduce the effectiveness of snares applied to you by 15%.
• Piercing Cold – Increases your Physical and Frost Damage by 6%.

Ultimate Ability

• Sleet Storm – Twist a violent storm around you, causing 6 targets to take Frost Damage every 1 second for 8 seconds and have their Movement Speed reduced by 70%. Nearby allies gain Major Protection, reducing incoming Damage by 30%.
  • Northern Storm – While slotted your Max Magicka is increased by 8%.
  • Permafrost – Enemies damaged 3 times are stunned for 3 seconds.

Racial Synergy

If you want to tackle Animal Companions, we suggest one of the more versatile races like Dark Elf or Khajit–the latter of which gets extra crit damage. If you’re looking to play as Green Balance, we suggest you go for a Breton or High Elf due to their maximum magicka increase. Lastly, if you want to go tank, the hearty Nords will work well with the frosty nature of Winter’s Embrace with their extra armor rating and health recovery. Imperials are another good fit, due to their extra health and stamina.