Arenas
Arenas in The Elder Scrolls Online offer challenging PvE content for both solo players and groups, testing your combat prowess and strategic thinking. Unlike standard dungeons, Arenas present waves of enemies in unique environments, culminating in powerful boss encounters. Success in these trials grants valuable rewards, including unique item sets and rare furnishings.
Dragonstar Arena (Group)
The Dragonstar Arena is a 4-player group arena located in the Upper Craglorn zone. It features 10 stages, each with multiple rounds and a final boss. This arena is renowned for dropping pieces of the powerful Destructive Impact Set, Footman's Fortune Set, and Healer's Habit Set, among others. It's available in both Normal and Veteran difficulties.
Preparation & Strategy for Dragonstar Arena
- Team Composition: A standard group setup (1 Tank, 1 Healer, 2 Damage Dealers) is highly recommended for Veteran difficulty. For Normal, a more flexible composition can work, but a dedicated healer is still beneficial.
- Gear & Consumables: Ensure all group members have fully repaired gear, appropriate enchantments, and food/drink buffs. Bring plenty of potions (tri-potions are ideal) and soul gems.
- Communication: Clear communication is key, especially for coordinating interrupts, crowd control, and focusing down priority targets.
Stage-by-Stage Walkthrough (Veteran Difficulty Highlights)
Each stage introduces new mechanics and enemy types. Focus fire on dangerous adds, interrupt channeled abilities, and manage your ultimate generation.
- Stage 1: The Ash Pit
- Enemies: Ash Spawn, Flame Atronachs, Fire Mages.
- Strategy: Prioritize the Fire Mages to prevent heavy AoE damage. The final boss, the Ash Titan, has a powerful stomp and fire breath. Stay spread out and dodge roll through his heavy attacks.
- Stage 2: The Spore Bog
- Enemies: Giant Wasps, Fungus Giants, Spriggans.
- Strategy: Wasps can stun; interrupt their buzzing. Spriggans heal their allies, so focus them down quickly. The Fungus Colossus boss spawns adds and leaves toxic puddles. Kite him and avoid the ground effects.
- Stage 3: The Frozen Crypt
- Enemies: Frost Atronachs, Ice Mages, Wraiths.
- Strategy: Ice Mages cast powerful ice shards; interrupt them. Wraiths can apply chilling debuffs. The Ice Guardian boss has a freezing AoE. Break free quickly and avoid the expanding ice circles.
- Stage 4: The Daedric Citadel
- Enemies: Daedroth, Scamps, Clannfears, Dremora.
- Strategy: Dremora spellcasters are high priority. Daedroth have a fiery breath attack. The Dremora Kynval boss summons additional Dremora and uses a powerful charge. Tank should taunt and kite, while DPS burns down adds.
- Stage 5: The Serpent's Lair
- Enemies: Lamia, Naga, Giant Snakes.
- Strategy: Lamia can charm players; break free. Naga healers should be interrupted. The Lamia Queen boss has a powerful scream that stuns. Interrupt this ability at all costs.
- Stage 6: The Dwemer Ruins
- Enemies: Dwarven Spiders, Spheres, Centurions.
- Strategy: Dwarven Spheres can deal significant damage; interrupt their ranged attacks. Centurions have a powerful steam breath. The Dwarven Colossus boss has a ground pound that creates shockwaves. Stay mobile.
- Stage 7: The Vampire's Crypt
- Enemies: Vampires, Bloodfiends, Gargoyles.
- Strategy: Vampires can drain health; interrupt them. Bloodfiends explode upon death. The Vampire Lord boss can transform into a giant bat. Focus on him when he's vulnerable and avoid his AoE attacks.
- Stage 8: The Werewolf Den
- Enemies: Werewolves, Dire Wolves, Bears.
- Strategy: Werewolves deal high melee damage and can stun. Prioritize them. The Werewolf Behemoth boss has a devastating pounce. Tank should hold aggro, and DPS should burst him down quickly.
- Stage 9: The Ayleid Sanctuary
- Enemies: Wisps, Harvesters, Flesh Atronachs.
- Strategy: Harvesters heal themselves and allies; interrupt their siphon. Flesh Atronachs explode. The Harvester of Souls boss summons wisps and has a powerful soul drain. Interrupt the drain and kill the wisps.
- Stage 10: The Serpent's Throne
- Enemies: All previous enemy types, culminating in the Maw of the Infernal.
- Strategy: This final stage is a gauntlet of all previous enemy types, followed by the main boss. The Maw of the Infernal has multiple phases, summoning adds and using powerful fire attacks. Coordinate interrupts, cleanse debuffs, and manage ultimate abilities for maximum damage. The tank must maintain aggro on the boss, while DPS focuses on adds and then the boss.
Rewards
Completing Dragonstar Arena, especially on Veteran difficulty, offers a chance at unique weapons and armor from the aforementioned sets. Additionally, you'll earn Transmute Crystals, experience, and gold. The weekly leaderboard rewards can also provide highly sought-after Perfected versions of the arena weapons.
Maelstrom Arena (Solo)
The Maelstrom Arena is a solo arena located in the Wrothgar zone. It also features 9 stages, each with multiple rounds and a final boss. This arena is famous for its powerful Maelstrom weapons, which offer unique enchantments and are considered best-in-slot for many builds. Like Dragonstar, it has Normal and Veteran difficulties.
Preparation & Strategy for Maelstrom Arena
- Build Optimization: Your build needs to be highly optimized for solo play, focusing on self-sustain, damage, and survivability. Many players opt for builds with strong shields, healing over time, and good AoE clear.
- Consumables: Bring a large stack of tri-potions, health potions, and high-quality food/drink.
- Understanding Mechanics: Each stage has unique mechanics that you must understand to succeed. Failing to utilize the environmental buffs or avoid hazards will lead to quick death.
Key Mechanics & Tips (Veteran Difficulty)
Maelstrom Arena is a true test of a solo player's skill. Pay close attention to the colored pads and environmental hazards.
- Stage 1: The Obsidian Pit (Dremora)
- Mechanic: Lava pools. Stand on the glowing pads to gain a damage buff and avoid taking damage from the lava.
- Strategy: Kite enemies to the pads, kill the Dremora casters quickly.
- Stage 2: The Seht's Balcony (Factotums)
- Mechanic: Lightning Conduits. Activate the conduits to stun enemies and gain a damage buff.
- Strategy: Use the conduits to control the flow of enemies, especially the large Factotums.
- Stage 3: The Drome of Toxic Shock (Lamia)
- Mechanic: Poison Ventilators. Stand in the green circles to cleanse poison and gain a healing buff.
- Strategy: Prioritize Lamia healers and stay out of the red AoE from the poison vents.
- Stage 4: The Arena of Flesh (Flesh Atronachs)
- Mechanic: Healing Orbs. Destroy the healing orbs that spawn to prevent enemies from regenerating health.
- Strategy: Focus on the orbs immediately. The Flesh Atronachs explode on death, so be ready to dodge.
- Stage 5: The Spiral Shadows (Spiders)
- Mechanic: Web Spinners. Kill the Web Spinners quickly to prevent the arena from filling with webs that slow you.
- Strategy: Maintain mobility. The final boss, the Spider Daedra, will summon many adds.
- Stage 6: The Perilous Vortex (Air Atronachs)
- Mechanic: Wind Streams. Use the wind streams to quickly move across the arena and avoid ground hazards.
- Strategy: Stay mobile and avoid the shockwaves from the Air Atronachs.
- Stage 7: The Vault of Umbrage (Trolls)
- Mechanic: Shield Generators. Destroy the generators to remove the shields from the Trolls.
- Strategy: Focus on the generators first. The Trolls hit hard, so block and dodge.
- Stage 8: The Igneous Cistern (Flame Atronachs)
- Mechanic: Pressure Plates. Stand on the plates to activate geysers that damage and stun enemies.
- Strategy: Lure enemies onto the geysers. The final boss, the Flame Colossus, has a powerful fire breath.
- Stage 9: The Thunderfang Peak (Argonian Behemoth)
- Mechanic: Shield Runes. Activate the runes to gain a shield that protects you from the boss's powerful attacks.
- Strategy: This final boss is a multi-phase fight. You must activate the shield runes when the boss charges his ultimate attack. Kill the adds quickly and manage your resources.
Rewards
The primary draw of Maelstrom Arena is the chance to acquire Maelstrom weapons, such as the Maelstrom's Inferno Staff, Maelstrom's Bow, and Maelstrom's Greatsword. These weapons drop in both normal and perfected versions (Veteran difficulty only). You also earn Transmute Crystals, experience, and gold. Perfecting Veteran Maelstrom Arena is a significant achievement and a benchmark for many players.